III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 685 

Honoring the service and sacrifice of members of the United States Armed 

Forces and veterans and condemning the disgraceful denigration by 

President Donald Trump of military service, prisoners of war, and Gold 

Star families. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 

Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mr. REED, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. 

JONES, Mr. CARPER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. TESTER, Mrs. 

SHAHEEN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. WARREN, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Mr. CARDIN, Mr. COONS, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. KAINE, Ms. CORTEZ

MASTO, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. BROWN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. 

WYDEN, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. BENNET, Ms. ROSEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. 

WARNER, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. UDALL, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. LEAHY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MERKLEY, and Ms. HARRIS) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the service and sacrifice of members of the United 

States Armed Forces and veterans and condemning the 

disgraceful denigration by President Donald Trump of 

military service, prisoners of war, and Gold Star families. 

Whereas the Nation owes an unmeasurable debt to all those 

individuals who have served in the United States Armed 

Forces, often shouldering the burden of long periods 

away from home, difficult and frequently dangerous 


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•SRES 685 IS 

training and deployments, and inherent physical, mental, 

and emotional risks; 

Whereas the families, communities, and loved ones of members of the Armed Forces support them in countless 

ways, frequently making sacrifices of their own, especially 

Gold Star families; 

Whereas many who love this country have served in conflicts 

throughout the Nation’s history, whether volunteering so 

another would not have to go or answering the call when 

drafted, or out of a profound and selfless sense of duty, 

some never returning home, some still missing, and some 

who suffered immense hardship as prisoners of war; 

Whereas one of the highest honors and solemn responsibilities 

of serving as President of the United States is to be 

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces; 

Whereas faithful execution of this constitutional duty requires, at a minimum, that the Commander in Chief 

forcefully defend the safety of members of the Armed 

Forces against foreign adversaries, such as President of 

the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin; 

Whereas the Commander in Chief has a duty to uphold good 

order and discipline in the Armed Forces by refusing to 

issue unconstitutional orders, refusing to pardon and excuse those in uniform who commit crimes, and refusing 

to use rhetoric that seeks to divide military personnel 

from their senior leaders; 

Whereas the Nation honors the service and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who placed the 

mission first and refused to leave a fallen comrade, never 

asking what was in it for them, but, rather, setting aside 

selfish interests in defense of the Nation; 


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•SRES 685 IS 

Whereas a lack of respect for individuals who served in uniform is a disqualifying characteristic for service as President; 

Whereas President Trump repeatedly disrespected members 

of the Armed Forces, and demonstrated a fundamental 

ignorance of the ethos of military service— 

(1) when President Trump dehumanized members in 

saying of such members that ‘‘[w]e train our boys to be 

killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!’’; 

(2) when President Trump pardoned members convicted of actions that violate the laws of war, thereby 

valorizing war crimes and contempt for the rule of law 

and unethical warfighting, and undermining good order 

and discipline; 

(3) when President Trump dismissed traumatic 

brain injury as ‘‘headaches’’ and described an incident of 

members suffering traumatic brain injuries as a result of 

missile strikes as ‘‘not very serious’’; 

(4) when President Trump denigrated the military 

service of the late Senator John McCain by claiming that 

‘‘[h]e’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was 

captured. I like people who weren’t captured’’; 

(5) when President Trump failed to speak of Gold 

Star parents with honor and respect; 

(6) when President Trump sought to humiliate a 

decorated military officer, who was awarded the Purple 

Heart, by forcing White House security to escort the officer off the property when removing him from the National Security Council; and 

(7) when President Trump failed to honor the solemn responsibility of the Commander in Chief to offer 

comfort to the families of members killed in action on his 

watch; and 


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•SRES 685 IS 

Whereas President Trump has failed to publicly condemn, 

warn, or even criticize President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, following public reports that Russia 

offered bounties for the killing of members of the Armed 

Forces: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the denigration by President 

3 Donald Trump of members of the United States 

4 Armed Forces and veterans; 

5 (2) affirms that the service and sacrifice of in6 dividuals who serve the Nation in uniform, refuse to 

7 leave a fallen comrade behind and never retreat in 

8 the face of grave danger, as exemplified by the 

9 United States Marines who demonstrated bravery, 

10 grit, and valor in prevailing in the fierce Battle of 

11 Belleau Wood during World War I, reflect the true 

12 character of our country that makes America great; 

13 (3) will honor and never forget the sacrifices 

14 and bravery of members of the Armed Forces who 

15 became prisoners of war or went missing in action; 

16 (4) will respect, honor, and care for the service17 disabled veterans who have borne the battle in de18 fense of the Nation, recognizing that wounds of war 

19 are earned by those who set aside selfish interests; 

20 and 


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•SRES 685 IS 

1 (5) demands that President Donald Trump up2 hold his oath of office and constitutional duty as 

3 Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to defend 

4 members of the Armed Forces against hostile ac5 tions by leaders and military forces of the Russian 

6 Federation. 

Æ 


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