Predictably, Virginia Democrats are not pleased with Trump ordering an attack on Iran without any Congressional authorization. Also predictably, Virginia Republicans are totally gung ho. I’ll add more statements as I see them…
STATEMENT OF SENATE INTELLIGENCE VICE CHAIR MARK R. WARNER
~ On President Trump’s decision to launch direct strikes on Iran ~
WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today released the following statement:
“President Trump came into office promising to ‘end the endless foreign wars.’ Tonight, he took steps that could drag the United States into another one, without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what’s at stake.
“There is no question that Iran poses a serious threat to regional stability, and the United States must remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security and in ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. But launching direct military strikes without authorization from or consultation with Congress raises urgent questions: What is the president’s objective? How is he measuring success? And what’s the plan to prevent this from dragging our country into another open-ended conflict in the Middle East that costs American lives and resources for years to come?
“The Constitution makes clear that the power to authorize war lies with Congress. There are more than 40,000 U.S. servicemembers deployed across the region, as well as American diplomats, contractors, and aid workers, and the safety of our personnel must be paramount. With American lives and our national security on the line, any action that could draw the United States into a broader conflict demands transparency, accountability, and a clear strategy. So far, the president has offered none of these.
“The American people deserve more than vague rhetoric and unilateral decisions that could set off a wider war. The president must come before Congress immediately to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict.”
McClellan Statement on U.S. Strikes on Iran
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. launched direct strikes on Iran:
“President Trump’s decision to launch air strikes on Iran without Congressional consultation or approval absent an imminent threat to the United States risks triggering a broader regional war that drags us deeper into an avoidable conflict with no clear strategy.
“Escalating tensions through force without a coordinated diplomatic effort dangerously undermines our national security and the safety of our allies, and puts our over 40,000 servicemembers stationed throughout the Middle East within reach of Iranian missiles and drones at risk. The American people deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to decisions that could cost American lives. I urge the Administration to brief all members in Congress on the intelligence that compelled these strikes, the effectiveness of the strikes, the plans for what comes next, and the actions that the Administration is taking to protect American servicemembers and potential domestic targets from Iranian reprisals.
“While we remain firm in our commitment to preventing a nuclear armed Iran, using force that at best merely delays nuclear weapons development by a few years will not bring long-term success. Only robust and aggressive diplomatic action has ever successfully contained Iran’s nuclear ambitions in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, the President abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement successfully negotiated by the Obama-Biden Administration, without any clear alternatives in mind to avoid the current crisis that we find ourselves in at this moment.
“I urge the Administration to pursue every available diplomatic channel to de-escalate this crisis, prevent further bloodshed and achieve a lasting and durable solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
