National Politics with Senator Booker

Senator Cory Booker joins The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss multiple pressing national issues, centering on the May 1st deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires President Trump to either secure congressional authorization for the ongoing war with Iran or withdraw U.S. forces. Booker argues the war is a disastrous overreach that has made Iran stronger, destabilized the Middle East, and harmed American economic and national security. He criticizes Senate Republicans for blocking previous War Powers resolutions and calls the conflict a 'right versus wrong' issue, not a partisan one. He also defends his historic vote to block arms sales to Israel, citing the war's destabilizing effects and the moral imperative to uphold human rights. On domestic policy, Booker promotes his Keep Your Pay Act, a tax proposal that would make the first $75,000 of income tax-free for joint filers, arguing it would cut child poverty in half and end systemic tax avoidance by the wealthy and corporations. He emphasizes his refusal to accept PAC money, including from AIPAC, as a commitment to democratic integrity. The episode underscores a broader call for accountability, moral leadership, and systemic reform in American politics.