Washington, DC – Representatives Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, today introduced a War Powers Resolution to order the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran absent a Congressional authorization, while preserving the ability for U.S. Armed Forces to defend the U.S. and its partners and allies from imminent attack.
“President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval. Yet President Trump ordered strikes on Iran this past weekend without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization. We still don’t know whether these strikes eliminated Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, and the administration has offered no clear strategy. Instead, the president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat. Without a coherent strategy for preventing Iran’s program from bouncing back, including through diplomacy, we risk further escalation. No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here — and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse.
“The War Powers Resolution we’ve introduced today orders the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran, while allowing U.S. forces to carry out defensive operations to defend the United States and its partners and allies from imminent attack, including those defending Israel. Again, President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran without Congressional approval.”
A PDF of the Resolution can be found here.
“President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval. Yet President Trump ordered strikes on Iran this past weekend without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization. We still don’t know whether these strikes eliminated Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, and the administration has offered no clear strategy. Instead, the president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat. Without a coherent strategy for preventing Iran’s program from bouncing back, including through diplomacy, we risk further escalation. No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here — and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse.
“The War Powers Resolution we’ve introduced today orders the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran, while allowing U.S. forces to carry out defensive operations to defend the United States and its partners and allies from imminent attack, including those defending Israel. Again, President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran without Congressional approval.”
A PDF of the Resolution can be found here.