Senator Van Hollen floats shutdown threat to force an end to the Iran war

Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen has said he is considering using the threat of a government shutdown to force President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran. He made the remarks in an interview with MS NOW on Thursday.

On the same day, Van Hollen announced he would challenge Chuck Schumer for the post of Senate majority leader. Asked repeatedly in the interview how he would differ from Schumer as leader, Van Hollen pointed to ending the war in Iran.

He said: 'I believe we need to be firm. I think that we heard loud and clear from the American people that they want to end the war in Iran and bring down prices. We shouldn't say we're going to wait until January when we have the power to do it on Dec. 11. Not a penny, not a penny to fuel this war.'

Congress will need to fund the government by December 11 to avoid a shutdown. MS NOW host Jen Psaki asked Van Hollen whether Trump would be 'forced' to end the war, since Congress cannot do it unilaterally.

Van Hollen replied that the president would then be given a choice. 'Does he say to the American people that I'm going to shut down the United States government? Am I going to shut down all the agencies of the U.S. government to keep the illegal war in Iran going and to keep prices high, when we could do it now?' he said. Trump could also choose, he said, to completely ignore the will of the American people and shut down the government.

Schumer's office did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment. The White House also did not return a request for comment.

In his statement, Van Hollen said: 'In this election, the American people called for change. They called for a change from Donald Trump's disastrous policies — but even bigger than that, a change from the status quo that isn't working for working people.' He added: 'It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership. This is not about any one person – it's about answering the call of the American people. That is why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader.'

Asked what he would do in his first 100 days as leader, Van Hollen said he would prioritize restoring Medicaid funding, extending the Affordable Care Act's tax credits, and restoring food and nutrition programs. He also criticized Schumer for endorsing moderate candidates in Democratic primaries.

Several senators have already said they will not support Schumer. Longtime allies such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elissa Slotkin declared this week that they would not back Schumer for leader. Several senators-elect who rode the midterm wave to Washington — Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Peggy Flanagan, and Abdul El-Sayed — have also publicly rejected the longtime New York senator as Democratic leader.

Liz Mair, a Republican strategist and head of Mair Strategies, told Fox News Digital the shutdown position could be an 'effective strategy' for the Democrats. 'If you do want to force the Pentagon's hand, this is the easiest way to do it, legislatively, right?' she said, while also asking how much reputational downside there might be for Democrats.

Van Hollen, 67, has served in Congress for 23 years, beginning his career in the House before moving to the Senate in 2017. Schumer, 75, has been in Congress since 1981.