Here & Now

US Sen. Tammy Baldwin on the War and Ceasefires with Iran

Frederica Freyberg:
This week, there have been dizzying developments in the war with Iran. Midweek, the U.S. called the war concluded, moving instead to Project Freedom to open the Strait of Hormuz. But President Trump quickly quit Project Freedom. Now both sides are considering a peace plan in the midst of an uneasy cease fire. How to make sense of this even as the price of oil goes up and down with mixed messaging, while the price at the pump stays high. Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is here. And thanks very much for being here.

Tammy Baldwin:
Thank you for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:
So with all that’s happening, what in your mind is the best outcome?

Tammy Baldwin:
The best outcome would be for the war to come to a quick end and to use diplomacy to settle the issues. I always have to remind folks that in 2015, there was an international agreement that would have prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. There were intrusive inspections, and Donald Trump, in his first term as president, ripped it up. I think we may end up in this conflict with a deal that’s less robust than the one that was agreed to in 2015. Look, diplomacy is the answer. And instead, Donald Trump has brought us into a war of choice. And I emphasize that point because we were not under attack from Iran. We were not under imminent threat of attack. And in those circumstances, the president needs to come to Congress to authorize use of military force. He didn’t. So now we have 13 service members dead. We have hundreds more injured, some very seriously. And we see these price shocks with gasoline, with fertilizer for our farmers that are just getting ready to plant. I’ve been a part of an effort with a number of colleagues to force votes on war powers resolutions, and we are gaining support over time from our Republican colleagues. But that’s what we need to do is bring this to a quick end and use diplomacy to achieve our goals.

Frederica Freyberg:
Do you feel as though the administration is skirting the War Powers Resolution by declaring this war concluded, terminated, over?

Tammy Baldwin:
I heard just a week ago the Secretary of Defense say, “Well, you can’t toll the days that we’ve been in a cease fire. Those don’t count as part of the 60 days that the War Powers Act references.” But regardless, they are — we are currently in hostilities. We are clearly in a war, and it is an unmitigated disaster for the U.S. and the global economy.

Frederica Freyberg:
Because you were just describing the best-case outcome. What would be the worst?

Tammy Baldwin:
The worst is that we end up far less secure and as an economy as well as a nation, because of this war of choice, this illegal war of choice. You know, and while it’s not tangible, the damage it’s doing to the rule of law in this country is worth noting.

Frederica Freyberg:
What are your constituents saying about what it means for them here at home?

Tammy Baldwin:
Well, I’m hearing mostly about the costs. We have had the highest costs really ever, on average, for gasoline at $4.50 on average across the state. Farmers are really reaching out to describe the shortage of fertilizer as well as the high price if they can source it. This will affect what they’re able to plant this year. And, you know, that’s all on top of the president’s previous trade wars that have cut off markets for our farmers and have really jacked up the cost of inputs. So I would say overwhelming opposition to the war but mostly articulated by folks who are just feeling the squeeze. And they were already feeling the lack of affordability prior to the war beginning. This has just doubled down on that.

Frederica Freyberg:
So we were just talking about agriculture and fertilizer and inputs for farmers. The U.S. Senate is poised to take up the Farm Bill after the House passed the $390 billion version of it. What are your priorities for the Farm Bill for Wisconsin?

Tammy Baldwin:
Yeah, well, looking at the bill that was passed by the House, I realized that it doesn’t really respond to the enormous headwinds our farmers are facing. One of the things that makes the House-passed bill really a nonstarter in the Senate is the refusal to restore the $186 billion that was cut out of the SNAP program. And that is something that brings folks together in terms of farm policy. But the House-passed bill does not include my Healthy H2O Act, which helps folks in rural areas check their water for PFAS and other contaminants. Things that they really can’t afford to do without some help and also the Farmers First Act. Farmers, because of the stresses, financial and otherwise that they face, have high rates of suicide. And so this is a mental health program that helps reduce that stress and helps make sure that there are support groups locally for them to turn to.

Frederica Freyberg:
All right. Senator Tammy Baldwin, thanks very much.

Tammy Baldwin:
Thank you.