A coalition of antiwar groups launched a national campaign on Wednesday calling for Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer to step aside from their positions as minority leaders.
Jeff Cohen, cofounder of RootsAction, said: “Schumer and Jeffries have failed their party and country through wobbly leadership when firmness and clarity are needed in opposing a reckless and costly war… The Democratic base sees a weak and confused party leadership as Trump demands billions more to attack Iran. While the party needs strong leaders in Congress, both Schumer and Jeffries have shown that they’re not up to the job.”
Kevin Martin is president of Peace Action, the nation’s largest grassroots peace network. He commented that although Schumer and Jeffries “did organize Democratic leadership in both houses of Congress to support the recent Iran War Powers Resolutions, albeit somewhat belatedly,” what’s needed is for them to “speak out loudly and clearly, and get their caucuses in line, to oppose the upcoming $50 billion or more for Trump’s illegal war of aggression on Iran, and to cut off U.S. weapons to Israel. Failing to do so will only increase calls for them to step down or be replaced by colleagues who understand where the American people are on these and other critical issues.”
KEVIN MARTIN; [email protected]
Martin is the president of Peace Action.
Martin told the Institute for Public Accuracy: These leaders “are not only not leading, they are not even strongly representing their base, and independents, who vehemently oppose this war.”
Assuming that the minority leaders do not step aside, he said, this coalition nonetheless demands “first and foremost, strong opposition, and getting their caucuses in line, to vote against any supplemental war funding, rumored to be $50 billion. The Republicans may add other funding such as FEMA or farm aid to make it harder to oppose, in which case [the leaders need to amend] the bill to separate that money to make it a ‘clean’ vote on war funding.”
Martin added: “Oftentimes politics in this country is mostly just about horse race and positioning, and that misses the point. We need leaders who have real solutions for the country’s myriad social, economic, and political problems––not career politicians who cautiously stick their fingers up to ascertain how the wind is blowing. Schumer and Jeffries fail that most basic test, both by not offering real solutions but also not representing their base of voters, who oppose wars and endless U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. They want affordable health care, housing, groceries, transportation, and a decent quality of life.”
Background:
>> The Nation (March 2): Why Can’t Top Democrats Just Say “No War With Iran”?
>> NBC (March 8): Hakeem Jeffries won’t commit to blocking additional Iran war funding