CSPAN - Washington Journal Open Phones pt.2
Aired: 2026-04-17
Duration: 36:59


=== War Powers Resolution Deadline (14:17) ===

[00:00:00]  Aggressive, 41% moderate.
[00:00:02]  Republicans watching Democrats, Democrats watching Republicans, moderates watching all sides.
[00:00:08]  Because C-SPAN viewers want the facts straight from the source.
[00:00:12]  No commentary, no agenda, just democracy.
[00:00:16]  Unfiltered every day on the C-SPAN networks.
[00:00:20]  On Saturday, former Vice President Kamala Harris and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker are in Detroit to speak at a fundraising luncheon hosted by the Michigan Democratic Women's Caucus.
[00:00:30]  You can see that event live at 11.30 a.m. Eastern on C-SPAN.
[00:00:34]  And then at 7.15 p.m., Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Governor Andy Bashir speak at the Michigan Democratic Party's annual legacy dinner, also happening in Detroit.
[00:00:44]  Again, that's live on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, and online at C-SPAN.org.
[00:00:53]  President Trump spoke to reporters before he left for Las Vegas yesterday and touted the 10-day ceasefire deal brokered by the United States between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
[00:01:07]  Here's what he had to say.
[00:01:09]  It's very exciting.
[00:01:09]  With Lebanon, it's very exciting.
[00:01:11]  I think we're going to have a deal.
[00:01:12]  We're going to have a meeting first time in 44 years.
[00:01:16]  And Lebanon will be meeting with Israel and they're probably going to do it at the White House.
[00:01:20]  When do you think that's a good question?
[00:01:22]  When do you think they would say this?
[00:01:24]  Over the next week or two.
[00:01:24]  Over the next week.
[00:01:25]  And do you think this Academy can read?
[00:01:28]  I do.
[00:01:29]  I think we will have an agreement between Lebanon and they're going to take care of Hezbollah.
[00:01:35]  But they're going to be working on Hezbollah right now.
[00:01:38]  But we'll have a degree between Israel, very importantly, and Lebanon.
[00:01:42]  Will you support our Lebanese army as well as Iran?
[00:01:47]  Iran going to ceasefire.
[00:01:48]  Has Hezbollah agreed to this ceasefire?
[00:01:50]  I mean, how do you even agree?
[00:01:51]  They're all agreeing.
[00:01:52]  It's a very nice little package for about a week, and we're not going to have lots of bombs dropping.
[00:01:59]  And we're going to see if we can make peace between Lebanon and Israel.
[00:02:04]  President Trump on this 10-day ceasefire brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon.
[00:02:09]  The Washington Post notes this morning that the agreement was not negotiated by Hezbollah, the group that Israel had been targeting, and which gave ambiguous statements about whether they would recognize this ceasefire deal.
[00:02:24]  Back to the president at the White House yesterday, he also talked about the conflict with Iran and the potential of more in-person talks with Tehran.
[00:02:34]  The president also saying that he may travel to Pakistan where negotiations are taking place to sign some sort of deal.
[00:02:41]  Now, this ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, that is something that Iran has said needs to be in place before they would agree to any peace deal between U.S., Israel, and Iran.
[00:02:55]  Here's the president on the war with Iran.
[00:03:03]  I would say the fighting, if there's no deal, fighter resumes.
[00:03:06]  Okay, and then on gas prices, how much longer will Americans continue to see these high gas prices?
[00:03:11]  Well, they're not very high if you look at what they were supposed to be in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon with the danger that entails.
[00:03:17]  So the gas prices have come down very much over the last three, four days.
[00:03:22]  I know, you know, and that's what ABC says.
[00:03:24]  But the fact is that if you look at the stock markets up, everything's doing really well.
[00:03:31]  And the big thing we have to do is we have to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon because if they do, you want to talk about problems, you'd have problems.
[00:03:39]  So very important is that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.
[00:03:44]  And they've agreed to that.
[00:03:45]  Iran's agreed to that.
[00:03:47]  And they've agreed to it very powerfully.
[00:03:50]  They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust that's way underground because of the attack we made with the B-2 bombers.
[00:03:56]  So we have a lot of agreement with Iran.
[00:03:59]  I think something's going to happen very positive.
[00:04:06]  Very complicated subject.
[00:04:09]  I don't think we're waiting.
[00:04:10]  I think we're moving very fast.
[00:04:11]  It could happen pretty quickly.
[00:04:16]  Hold the headline.
[00:04:18]  How long you can sustain the bloke on the string of boomers?
[00:04:22]  The what?
[00:04:22]  How long you could sustain the blueprint on the trigger boomers?
[00:04:26]  We're doing very well with the blockade.
[00:04:28]  It's very routine for us.
[00:04:30]  The Navy is incredible.
[00:04:32]  And I think the blockade is doing very well.
[00:04:34]  No chip is even thinking about entering.
[00:04:37]  No chip is going past our native.
[00:04:40]  President Trump at the White House talking to reporters, giving the latest on the U.S. conflict with Iran before leaving for Las Vegas.
[00:04:49]  The president has remained on the West Coast today, and we will hear from him again when he appears at Turning Point USA event with conservative young voters.
[00:05:00]  You'll hear from him around 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
[00:05:03]  Live coverage on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free video mobile app, and online on demand at c-span.org.
[00:05:12]  This morning, we're getting your thoughts on Congress rejecting Iran war powers resolutions.
[00:05:18]  Again, this week in the House and the Senate, multiple attempts by Democrats to peel off Republicans and get them to support an Iran war powers resolution, which would require the president to get congressional approval before he continues with combat operations.
[00:05:37]  These resolutions have failed every time.
[00:05:41]  From the Washington Post this morning, the war powers resolution of 1973, the law Democrats use to force the votes, requires presidents to remove U.S. forces from any conflict that Congress has not authorized within 60 days.
[00:05:58]  Trump can obtain a 30-day extension if he certifies to Congress that it is an, quote, unavoidable military necessity.
[00:06:09]  That 60-day deadline is coming up on May 1st, and we are in week eight of the conflict with Iran.
[00:06:18]  John in New Mexico, Republican, let's hear from you.
[00:06:21]  What's your message to Washington on these Iran war powers resolutions?
[00:06:26]  Stop the war.
[00:06:28]  Real simple, Greta.
[00:06:30]  It's an illegal war.
[00:06:31]  I mean, when you don't go to Congress to get anybody else's approval or anybody else's opinion, for that matter, it's a fascist move by a president that doesn't really care about anything except what he wants.
[00:06:50]  You know, he keeps talking about this: no tax on tips.
[00:06:54]  That's for one year only.
[00:06:56]  Hey, John, before we switch topics, you're a Republican.
[00:06:59]  Have you voted for President Trump in the past?
[00:07:04]  I did.
[00:07:05]  I did.
[00:07:05]  My dad was still alive when first time he ran, and that was probably the only time we were ever together on politics because Trump was going to get us jobs.
[00:07:16]  The big story was manufacturing's coming back.
[00:07:19]  Everybody's getting a job.
[00:07:21]  So you voted for him.
[00:07:22]  You voted for him in 2016.
[00:07:24]  Did you not do it again in 2020 and 2024?
[00:07:30]  20.
[00:07:31]  No, I voted for him three times.
[00:07:34]  I got sucked into the big get or whatever you want to call it.
[00:07:40]  And I was lied to.
[00:07:42]  My health insurance went up, which, by the way, my governor of New Mexico covered the stop-in that Trump took away.
[00:07:48]  He gave us free health care.
[00:07:50]  Any woman that works, just show up.
[00:07:53]  Your child care is paid.
[00:07:55]  That's what you get when you elect Democrats.
[00:07:58]  John, what was, before we let you go, what was the final straw for you that you decided that you did not support the president?
[00:08:05]  Beautiful bill.
[00:08:06]  I was mad for, still mad about the big, beautiful bill, where he lied to us all on the campaign trail repeatedly.
[00:08:14]  Never stopped.
[00:08:15]  Wasn't going to touch Medicare.
[00:08:17]  Took away everybody's health care in America unless you got about $3,000, $2,000 a month for your house.
[00:08:24]  I mean, who has that?
[00:08:25]  Okay.
[00:08:26]  John, I want to stick to the Iran war powers resolution.
[00:08:29]  But John, a three-time supporter of President Trump, saying that he is opposed to the president on several issues, but laying out his arguments against this conflict with Iran.
[00:08:42]  Frank in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an independent.
[00:08:45]  Good morning.
[00:08:46]  Share your thoughts with us.
[00:08:48]  Good morning, Greta.
[00:08:51]  This president has been off the rails since he started.
[00:08:54]  He doesn't respect our country, our people, our laws, or anything.
[00:09:02]  He's doing whatever he wants.
[00:09:06]  And that's not good.
[00:09:08]  He's mentally incompetent, and he has to go.
[00:09:14]  And I love C-SPAN.
[00:09:16]  I really do.
[00:09:17]  C-SPAN is my drug, and I get overdosed on it every single day.
[00:09:22]  Frank, are you watching these debates on the House Senate floor on the Iran War Powers Resolution?
[00:09:30]  Not at the moment because I'm busy working, but as soon as I get home, I'll be torn into C-SPAN all over again.
[00:09:38]  Like I said, it's my drug.
[00:09:40]  I get overdosed on C-SPAN every single day.
[00:09:44]  All right, Frank.
[00:09:44]  Well, we appreciate you watching.
[00:09:46]  And in case you missed it yesterday, let's go to the House debate on the Iran war powers resolution.
[00:09:51]  Here's California Democrat Sarah Jacobs, whose district includes military bases, defending the effort to limit the president's combat operations in Iran.
[00:10:03]  Two weeks ago, thousands of San Diego military families got 48-hour deployment notices.
[00:10:09]  That means they need to be ready to drop everything to deploy to the Middle East, get their affairs in order, pack, and say goodbye to their families for a few months or maybe a year.
[00:10:17]  And don't get me wrong, this is what our service members and their families signed up for, and they are not complaining.
[00:10:22]  But it is our job in Congress and my job as a representative of the country's biggest military community to make sure that we've explored all the contingency plans, exhausted all diplomatic and non-military options, and figured out the objectives, the strategy, and the exit plan before we've asked them to.
[00:10:41]  And we have done none of that.
[00:10:43]  And while I will push for oversight and transparency about how we got here, our focus now should be on how we end this war.
[00:10:49]  But instead, President Trump is escalating.
[00:10:52]  The San Diego-based carrier, the Lincoln, is already in the region.
[00:10:55]  San Diego's USS Boxer and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be arriving soon.
[00:11:00]  And we're expecting another San Diego-based carrier, the Roosevelt, to deploy any day now.
[00:11:05]  And when they get there, they will be prime target for retaliation and charged with the difficult task of enforcing Donald Trump's cockmami blockade of Iran's ports and partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which will put a lot of strain on an already fragile ceasefire.
[00:11:22]  Donald Trump is getting our country further entrenched in another forever war in the Middle East.
[00:11:26]  And the longer we stay, the harder and more expensive it will be to get out.
[00:11:30]  So yes, we should support our troops.
[00:11:33]  That means doing our jobs and asking these questions before they are asked to sacrifice their lives.
[00:11:38]  That's why Congress needs to do our job, or else we will keep paying the cost in terms of lives lost and taxpayer dollars.
[00:11:46]  Sarah Jacobs, Congresswoman from California, a Democrat before that vote took place, it failed 213 to 214.
[00:11:55]  One Republican voted present.
[00:11:57]  One Republican voted with Democrats, Thomas Massey.
[00:12:01]  One Democrat voted with Republicans, Jared Golden.
[00:12:05]  It failed on the House floor.
[00:12:07]  From the New York Times reporting, they note that after the vote, Representative Brian Mast of Florida, the Republican chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, signaled that patience within his party was running thin and that a resolution to halt the military campaign could very well pass in the coming weeks.
[00:12:24]  The House could have a different vote count after 60 days, Mr. Mass said, alluding to a May 1st deadline that falls 60 days after Mr. Trump formally notified Congress last month of the military operation in Iran.
[00:12:38]  Asked if the vote would be closer then, Mr. Mass predicted that it would.
[00:12:43]  Had just one additional Republican switched positions and voted in favor of the resolution on Thursday, it would have advanced.
[00:12:53]  David Warren Warren Davidson of Ohio voted president, even though he had voted for a similar measure in the past.
[00:13:03]  Yesterday he voted present.
[00:13:05]  Nancy Mace, who has said she has grave concerns about this conflict with Iran, did not vote at all.
[00:13:13]  So one more Republican and it would have passed in the House.
[00:13:17]  Listen to Brian Mast, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican of Florida, on the floor yesterday defending the conflict in Iran and President Trump.
[00:13:27]  Joe Biden engaged is because the Houthis, a direct arm of Iran, was attacking the United States of America's ships, merchant marine vessels, doing what they've been doing for decades, picking a fight.
[00:13:40]  President Biden launched Operation Prosperity Garden against Iranian-backed Houthis, and that went on, not for 30 days, not for 60 days, not for 90 days, not for six months, went on for almost a year until January 2025, from November 23 till January of 25.
[00:14:04]  And what happened during that time?
[00:14:05]  How many times did my Democrat colleagues or Republicans offer a war powers resolution to say, remove all U.S. forces from this fight against Iran?

=== Iran Nuclear Threat Escalates (07:30) ===

[00:14:17]  I have the counter down here.
[00:14:18]  It's zero.
[00:14:20]  It wasn't like what happened with President Trump.
[00:14:25]  President Trump defending against an imminent threat.
[00:14:29]  What was this imminent threat?
[00:14:31]  It wasn't just vessels being shot at.
[00:14:34]  It was very specifically not long before that, three Americans killed at a place called Tower 22.
[00:14:42]  Sergeant Rivers, 46 years old, serving in the U.S. Army Reserves.
[00:14:48]  Sergeant Sanders, 24 years old, serving in the U.S. Army Reserves.
[00:14:53]  Sergeant Moffat, 23 years old, serving in the U.S. Army Reserves.
[00:14:58]  Real imminent threat.
[00:15:00]  Our bases in Syria and Iraq and other places being attacked.
[00:15:04]  But before President Trump ever conducted any level of operation, Democrats introduced direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran.
[00:15:18]  A war power introduced before anything ever happened.
[00:15:22]  Brian Mass, Republican of Florida, and the top Republican, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defending the president, but he's quoted in several of the national papers today saying, patience is running thin on the Republican side of the aisle.
[00:15:38]  Louie in Chicago, Illinois, Democratic caller, what's your message to these lawmakers?
[00:15:44]  Well, I wish I could say it's a good morning, but I'm very upset.
[00:15:49]  Just 15 days ago, President Trump said he doesn't believe the federal government can continue paying for Medicare and Medicaid because we're involved in wars.
[00:16:02]  And that was you can see the quote in all the news media around the country.
[00:16:07]  This is a trick to get the federal government to stop paying for health care.
[00:16:14]  And I'm very upset about it.
[00:16:16]  And it has to be publicized.
[00:16:19]  All right, Louis calling in this morning with his thoughts.
[00:16:22]  Kellen Georgia, Republican.
[00:16:24]  Good morning to you.
[00:16:26]  Hi, how are you doing this morning?
[00:16:28]  Morning.
[00:16:30]  My congressional inquiry would be the root cause of Iran and the efforts to persuade or to interest a mark and reprisal in regards to engagement towards Iran.
[00:16:51]  What would be the significance?
[00:16:53]  What would be the imperative of such a strike?
[00:16:57]  And if such was the case, because it has been a long-pending Iran-U.S. conflict, one of all, and then just in general, Islamic beliefs and accepting of American soldiers.
[00:17:14]  However, the Islamic country does not, in fact, interest itself, it seems, of American business or American hostility and American domestic boundaries.
[00:17:30]  So how can, I mean, what would be the imperative of engagement with Iran as opposed to peace negotiations?
[00:17:40]  Well, the nuclear weapon threat.
[00:17:43]  Okay, reference strike, true enough.
[00:17:48]  However, the claim approach that America was trying to launch at one time with the leading like nuclear fission reprisal, and this was in like the 60s and the 70s, and then the hunt for the big red October, the hunt for the big red nuclear reactor.
[00:18:17]  It kind of like there was an alliance that was made that says, hey, no nuclear reactor to be detonated whatsoever.
[00:18:28]  However, if Iran was to violate that nuclear rescission, in a sense, it would be one in which I don't think Iran, Iran is a very, very, very, very peaceful country, despite the fact that Ayatollah and Tehran is looked upon as like a rule of world.
[00:18:51]  Okay, so Kel, wrap up your point.
[00:18:55]  Okay, my point being is I do understand that the nuclear reactor is somewhat maybe an imperative for a market reproduct.
[00:19:07]  However, just a few years ago, there was a nuclear explosion in Iran that was just, I mean, it was just, I mean, left to being unquestioned.
[00:19:23]  Okay.
[00:19:24]  Kel, we got to leave it there.
[00:19:25]  So the president has announced that to put more pressure on Iran during this two-week ceasefire, they would implement a blockade in the Strait of Hermuz.
[00:19:34]  The New York Times this morning, what a blockade of Iran's ports means for its economy.
[00:19:40]  Reliable figures about Iran's trade and economy are hard to come by.
[00:19:45]  Reported data is often incomplete and analysis inevitably involves guesswork.
[00:19:51]  Iranian reports said oil accounted for more than 40 percent of the country's total export revenue in 2023.
[00:19:59]  China is its principal customer, having bought 90 percent of Iran's oil exports in 2024.
[00:20:06]  And it says that the Chinese purchase equaled 31.3 billion in 2025 and accounted for 45 percent of Iran's government budget.
[00:20:18]  The story goes on to say that Iran's ruling mullahs have already demonstrated that they are not particularly responsive to hardships piled on the population.
[00:20:27]  Military spending by Iran was $7.9 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank.
[00:20:32]  But Iran has shown that it can effectively sabotage the global economy with expensive drones and underwater mines.
[00:20:40]  The U.S. blockade, in addition to halting oil exports, will end up also cutting off goods going into the country.
[00:20:48]  Years of sanctions have already crippled Iran's economy, resulting in severe unemployment, skyrocketing inflation and shortages.
[00:20:55]  A collapse in the currency sharpened the affordability crisis and resulted in widespread protests in December that were followed by a brutal government crackdown.
[00:21:05]  Nonetheless, in recent years, Iran managed to conduct trade with more than 170 nations.
[00:21:11]  This month, Iran's customs administration announced that the country's non-oil trade reached $109.6 billion over the previous 12 months.
[00:21:22]  Imports included smartphones, tractors, auto parts, rice, soybeans, sunflower seed oil.
[00:21:28]  Over time, the Iranian economy has also adapted to sanctions by producing more goods domestically, including automobiles, steel, iron, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food.
[00:21:40]  That's the New York Times reporting on what this blockade means for Iran's economy.

=== Strait of Hormuz Blockade (04:05) ===

[00:21:47]  Listen to the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, speaking about how the U.S. Navy is carrying out this blockade of the Strait of Hormuz when he briefed the American people along with the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday morning.
[00:22:04]  Let me walk you through this operation a little bit.
[00:22:06]  Please go to the first slide.
[00:22:09]  First, to the graphic.
[00:22:10]  This is taken before the blockade began.
[00:22:14]  North is up.
[00:22:15]  You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line.
[00:22:23]  This map is a poll from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time.
[00:22:35]  We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities.
[00:22:40]  What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space.
[00:22:56]  What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area.
[00:23:14]  You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue.
[00:23:17]  Iranian ships are in red.
[00:23:22]  And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command.
[00:23:32]  Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
[00:23:48]  Next slide, please.
[00:23:50]  It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade, as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line.
[00:24:02]  U.S. forces began to commit.
[00:24:04]  Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets.
[00:24:11]  And immediately, these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them.
[00:24:21]  The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, began to move towards those ships.
[00:24:35]  At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning.
[00:24:40]  A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade.
[00:24:52]  Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports.
[00:25:00]  Turn around or prepare to be boarded.
[00:25:03]  If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.
[00:25:08]  And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those shipmasters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them.
[00:25:18]  It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun.
[00:25:29]  The Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Kane talking about how the blockade by the United States in the Strait of Hormuz will work.
[00:25:36]  The New York Times this morning, as we shared with you a story about what it means for its economy, and they note that the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, just as the U.S. blockade was beginning, that higher prices and diminished supplies were likely to persist.

=== Economic Pressure on Iran (08:22) ===

[00:25:52]  Global oil demand, one sign of global economic activity, is estimated to fall by 2.3 million barrels a day this month, enlisting China to pressure Iran, who is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, 90%, could backfire.
[00:26:08]  On Monday, Beijing said that the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil was dangerous and irresponsible.
[00:26:14]  There is also the risk of a confrontation if a Chinese chip, ship, or tanker attempts to land at Iranian port.
[00:26:23]  Goes on to quote someone of the an expert of the foundation that said there was no doubt that the U.S. blockade would make Iran poorer.
[00:26:34]  But he said, making Iran a poorer country does not necessarily make it a less dangerous country.
[00:26:41]  Let's get to your thoughts on Congress rejecting Iran war powers resolutions again this week in both the House and the Senate.
[00:26:50]  Jim is in Ohio on our line for Democrats.
[00:26:53]  Jim, we'll go to you.
[00:26:56]  Yes, good morning.
[00:26:57]  Good morning.
[00:26:58]  I'm 81 years old.
[00:26:59]  Good morning.
[00:27:00]  I'm 81 years old.
[00:27:01]  In my lifetime, we've been in conflicts over 40 times.
[00:27:07]  And just to name the big ones, North Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, now Iran.
[00:27:18]  And all these have the same thing in common.
[00:27:22]  The Senate never declared any of them a war.
[00:27:27]  And None was a war.
[00:27:31]  Why are they pushing so hard for this now to go to Congress when none of them went to Congress?
[00:27:38]  Well, do you agree with not going to Congress?
[00:27:42]  Yes, I agree in not going to Congress.
[00:27:46]  Why is that?
[00:27:47]  Do you think it's solely the commander-in-chief's decision?
[00:27:53]  Well, he knows more than we know.
[00:27:56]  And for all these years, they've been killing American citizens.
[00:28:01]  How many soldiers have they killed?
[00:28:04]  Iran.
[00:28:05]  The president just sat back and let it go and let it go.
[00:28:09]  Now, if that was your child being murdered over there, would you not want the United States to do something and stop it?
[00:28:17]  Okay.
[00:28:18]  Jim's arguments there.
[00:28:19]  In Ohio, Democratic caller, we showed you this headline earlier.
[00:28:24]  Jim is referencing it as well from Business Insider.
[00:28:28]  11 times, U.S. presidents have launched military operations without congressional approval.
[00:28:36]  And the picture there is of then President Nixon talking about Vietnam to the American people with maps of Cambodia.
[00:28:48]  We'll go to Helen, who's in Long Island, New York, and Independent.
[00:28:51]  Helen, good morning to you.
[00:28:53]  What do you think?
[00:28:54]  Should the president have congressional authority for these combat operations against Iran?
[00:29:01]  Not this president.
[00:29:03]  Why is that?
[00:29:04]  I'm going to tell you something.
[00:29:06]  See, let's put it this way.
[00:29:08]  A lot of things that's happening, how they're using God's name in vain.
[00:29:13]  And you have all your Republicans bowing down.
[00:29:16]  Everybody's bowing down to this man.
[00:29:18]  I just got to read a scripture.
[00:29:19]  Is that okay with you?
[00:29:21]  It's in Matthew 24, verse 23.
[00:29:25]  It's also in Mark 13, 21.
[00:29:29]  If anyone tells you, you see, here is a Messiah, is over here.
[00:29:32]  Do not believe it.
[00:29:33]  For false Messiah and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders of led astray, if possible, even the elect.
[00:29:43]  Okay, America, we used to be blessed because we gave, and now we got a man that's taking.
[00:29:49]  He thinks he's Jesus with the Jesus picture.
[00:29:52]  He's fighting the Pope.
[00:29:54]  And yesterday, when Pete, whatever his name is, was putting out scripture.
[00:29:59]  You know, it wasn't even from the Bible.
[00:30:00]  It was from Pope Fiction.
[00:30:04]  All right, so all that's happening.
[00:30:06]  And then if you look into listen, it says lawless man.
[00:30:11]  And at once, God said he will put us to deceive people.
[00:30:15]  And then you look at James 5, warning to the rich.
[00:30:18]  And then you go to, then you also can go to 22, Revelation 22.
[00:30:25]  It talks about the, what you call it, the devil and stuff.
[00:30:31]  You know, with the number on your number or name on your forehead.
[00:30:35]  It's a number or name.
[00:30:37]  Okay.
[00:30:38]  Helen, the president did talk about the back and forth between him and Pope Leo leaving the White House yesterday.
[00:30:46]  This is what the president had to say.
[00:30:48]  I have to do what's right.
[00:30:50]  The Pope has to understand that.
[00:30:52]  Very simple.
[00:30:53]  I have nothing against the Pope.
[00:30:55]  His brother's MAGA all the way.
[00:30:56]  I like his brother, Lewis.
[00:30:58]  I'm not fighting with him.
[00:31:00]  The Pope made a statement.
[00:31:01]  He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon.
[00:31:03]  I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
[00:31:06]  And if the Pope looked at the 42,000 people that were killed over the last two or three months as a protester with no weapons, no nothing, I mean, you take a look at that.
[00:31:17]  So I could disagree with the Pope.
[00:31:19]  I have a right to disagree with the President.
[00:31:20]  I have a right to disagree with the Pope.
[00:31:22]  What do you think about the people?
[00:31:23]  What do you say to people who see that?
[00:31:25]  Who see your criticism?
[00:31:28]  Nothing.
[00:31:29]  I have no disagreement with the fact the Pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree.
[00:31:38]  I think that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
[00:31:41]  If they do, the whole world would be in jeopardy.
[00:31:43]  The Middle East will be blown up, and the whole world will be in jeopardy.
[00:31:46]  We're very close to making a deal.
[00:31:48]  That'll be a great thing.
[00:31:50]  The Pope has to understand Iran has killed more than 42,000 people over the last few months.
[00:31:56]  Think of it.
[00:31:57]  Protesters without guns, without anything.
[00:32:00]  There were totally unarmed protesters.
[00:32:02]  The Pope has to understand that.
[00:32:04]  This is the real world.
[00:32:05]  It's a nasty world.
[00:32:07]  But as far as the Pope and saying what he wants, he can do that.
[00:32:10]  Now, I know the Pope's brother.
[00:32:12]  He is a big MAGA person.
[00:32:13]  He's got MAGA all over his house.
[00:32:15]  His name is Lewis.
[00:32:16]  He's actually a great guy.
[00:32:18]  And I'm sure the Pope is a great guy.
[00:32:20]  I haven't met him.
[00:32:21]  But I disagree with the Pope.
[00:32:22]  If the Pope would allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, you can't do that.
[00:32:29]  President Trump yesterday before leaving the White House defending his disagreement with Pope Leo and also the conflict in Iran, saying Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
[00:32:41]  This morning, we're getting your thoughts on Congress rejecting in both the House and the Senate this week an Iran war powers resolution.
[00:32:51]  Democrats have attempted to thwart the president's combat operations in Iran, requiring him to get approval from Congress two times in the House and four times in the Senate.
[00:33:04]  Your thoughts this morning on the Iran war powers resolution.
[00:33:10]  Axios scooping what's next for Democrats on this front.
[00:33:15]  And they report that a group of House Democrats is discussing plans to force a vote on an Iran war powers resolution every day until one finally passes or U.S. operations in the region end.
[00:33:30]  Why it matters?
[00:33:31]  It's the kind of showy flood the zone tactic that the Democratic grassroots is constantly trying to get the party's lawmakers to pursue in resisting the Trump administration.
[00:33:42]  It's not clear if House Democratic leadership will get behind the tactic, but even some centrists aren't immediately dismissing the proposal.
[00:33:51]  I'd welcome it, is a quote from Representative Susie Leed, Democrat of Nevada, who represents Battleground District members in leadership.
[00:33:59]  I've voted for it twice, said Representative Jared Moskowitz, excuse me, Democrat of Florida.
[00:34:06]  I'll vote for it as many times as we need.
[00:34:10]  The idea was raised at a Congressional Progressive Caucus lunch Thursday.

=== Civic Energy Shop Support (02:44) ===

[00:34:14]  One member floated introducing enough war powers resolutions to force a vote every day that the House is in session, which was positively received.
[00:34:24]  It's not a finalized plan, according to one source, but members were interested in it.
[00:34:30]  So look for more, possibly every single day, of Democrats trying to force a vote on Iran war powers resolution in the House, and we'll see what happens in the Senate as well.
[00:34:42]  The president faces a May 1st deadline.
[00:34:44]  That's 60 days after this conflict began to get authorization from Congress or an extension of 30 days.
[00:34:54]  Earlier today, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on Capitol Hill for a second day this week, testifying on the policies and priorities of his department.
[00:35:04]  Other topics included budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the administration's response to the growing measles outbreak.
[00:35:12]  You can see that entire House Education and Workforce Committee hearing tonight at 9 Eastern on C-SPAN 2, C-SPAN now, our free mobile app, and online at c-span.org.
[00:35:26]  Join C-SPAN Saturday, April 25th at 7 p.m. Eastern for Washington's premier black tie event, the White House Correspondents Dinner.
[00:35:34]  Watch live coverage from the Washington Hilton featuring red carpet arrivals of top journalists, political leaders, and celebrities.
[00:35:40]  This year's featured entertainer is renowned mentalist Oz Perlman, and President Donald Trump is expected to make his first appearance as president.
[00:35:47]  The White House Correspondents Dinner, live Saturday, April 25th at 7 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, or online at c-SPAN.org.
[00:36:01]  Staying informed is essential.
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[00:36:20]  Shop now or anytime online at c-span shop.org.
[00:36:24]  Gear up for engagement.
[00:36:29]  Coming up, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldon, speaking about Trump administration energy policy.
[00:36:36]  During the 15-minute conversation, he talks about the impact of data centers on water resources, greenhouse gas emissions, and water regulation.
[00:36:52]  Well, thank you so much for being with us today, Mr. Administrator.
[00:36:55]  Welcome to Summit for World Economy.
[00:36:58]  It's rare that I've