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October 22, 2024

Where Congress Stands on War with Iran

After more than a year of Israel’s war on Gaza, the U.S., Israel, and Iran now find themselves on the cusp of a disastrous, full-blown regional war. Following Iran’s barrage of missiles against Israel on October 1st, Israel has vowed a severe military retaliation, with Iran vowing to respond in kind to any attack. The U.S., while apparently seeking to moderate Iran’s response, has now deployed additional troops and a missile defense system to Israel – tying the U.S. even closer to Israel’s military escalations against Iran even though no war has been authorized.

So long as tensions with Iran remain high, so do calls for war with Iran from Congress’ most notorious hawks. But thankfully, other Members of Congress are responding to these war drums by warning against a march to war with Iran, clarifying that no authorization for Iran war exists and urging de-escalation.

Some of the strongest statements are included below:

Supporting De-escalation and Congressional War Powers

October 1: In response to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s comments that the U.S. would “work with Israel” to deliver “severe consequences” to Iran, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated: 

  • “Work with Israel? Excuse me, the Constitution requires you to work with Congress!

October 1: Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) released a statement immediately following Iran’s attack calling for full use of the Biden administration’s diplomatic leverage over Israel:

  • So much of this violence and more could have been prevented if our government had the moral foresight and clarity to invest in peace and diplomacy instead of violence and war.”
  • “Every day that passes while the Biden administration continues to enable this violence, only guarantees more death, more human suffering, and more devastation. The Biden administration still has the power to stop this horrific and tragic nightmare and to use its immense leverage and diplomatic tools. An arms embargo and ceasefire are essential to ending the bloodshed. Our moral imperative must be in saving lives.”

October 1: Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) condemned Iran’s attack and stated:

  • “We must use diplomacy to calm tensions in the region. Escalation after escalation will only cause more suffering.

October 1: After expressing support for U.S.-backed Israeli defense systems utilized during Iran’s missile barrage, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) stated:

  • “I remain deeply concerned about escalating conflict in the region, and believe the only way to avoid an all-out war is a ceasefire.”

October 1: Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA) stated: 

  • A constant cycle of retaliation doesn’t make anyone in the region safer. Israel has a right to defend itself, but our shared goal should be avoiding a catastrophic regional war.

October 1: Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) expressed concern for continued escalation as well as continued U.S. military aid to Israel:

  • “I worry about a much wider war that will increase the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and throughout the region, and where the U.S. is more directly involved.”
  • “U.S. military aid to the Netanyahu government continues to violate our own laws, and that must stop. The Biden administration must use all available leverage to end this conflict as quickly as possible. All parties must agree to an immediate ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access, and the hostages must be released.”

October 1: Representative Greg Casar (D-TX) condemned both Iran and Hezbollah’s attacks as well as Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, emphasizing that:

  • The U.S. must use our leverage to end this cycle of violence & prevent a broader war. We MUST NOT allow our troops to get dragged into another Middle East disaster.”

October 1: Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), while expressing support for U.S. defense of Israel, stated:

  • “The U.S. should continue to seek to deescalate violence in the region and the best way to do that is to find a ceasefire in Gaza that will finally release the hostages taken by Hamas nearly a year ago.”

October 2: Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) stated: 

  • “As though we haven’t seen enough devastation and loss of life, we are witnessing the start of a regional war. The violence must stop, and we must find a path to peace through diplomacy. The security of the region and the world and our own national security depends on what we do next. The Administration must act decisively to pressure all parties to change course.

October 3: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) emphasized that there is no authorization for an Iran war, stating:

  • “Any offensive action by the U.S. against Iran would be unconstitutional without a Congressional Declaration of War.

October 5: Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), while debating his GOP senate opponent, stated:

  • “I do not believe it would be a good idea for the U.S. to be in another war in the Middle East. If we’ve learned one thing from 2001 to 2021, we should be supporting our allies but we should resist any effort by anyone to get the U.S. in another war in the Middle East.

October 8: While discussing the war in Gaza with one of Congress’ most vocal Iran hawks – Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) – Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) cautioned against striking Iran’s nuclear facilities in retaliation:

  • …widening the escalation of the ongoing war to include Iran at that time may not be in Israel’s interest or that of the U.S.
  • “It has been the constant policy of the U.S. to try to avoid a nuclear armed Iran…but attacking a nuclear facility right now is perhaps not the wisest course to take.” 

October 11: Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) stated: 

  • “A war with Iran is not in the national security interest of the United States, our allies, nor the world. The American people know this and oppose it. And Congress hasn’t approved it. I urge President Biden to seek diplomacy and dialogue over further military confrontation.”

October 13: Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Greg Casar (D-TX) released a joint statement asserting there is no authorization for war:

  • “Military force will not solve the challenge posed by Iran. We need meaningful de-escalation and diplomacy—not a wider war. Addressing the root causes are the only route to achieving long-term security and stability in the region. Nothing in current law authorizes the United States to conduct offensive military action against Iran. We risk becoming entangled in another catastrophic war that will inevitably harm innocent civilians and may cost billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
  • “As progressives, we have been consistent in our support for diplomacy and following the law in complying with congressional war powers. We supported President Obama’s landmark nuclear diplomacy, which successfully limited Iran’s nuclear program multilaterally before it was sabotaged by President Trump’s misguided ‘maximum pressure’ strategy. Similarly, we rejected Trump’s reckless push for war and passed bipartisan legislation through both chambers of Congress to prevent unauthorized U.S. force against Iran, following the reckless assassination of Iranian General Soleimani.”

October 16: On the one year anniversary of the introduction of the #CeasefireNOW Resolution (H.Res. 786), Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) stated: 

  • “Today, ceasefire remains the path to peace. A regional war is not the answer! We must heed the call of humanity and of the majority of Americans: negotiate a permanent ceasefire now!”

November 1: Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) sent a letter to the Biden administration inquiring about the involvement of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Israeli government’s expansion of the war in Gaza to Lebanon, as well as in the recent exchanges of hostilities between Israel and Iran, emphasizing the necessity of congressional war powers. Fellow signers of the letter include Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Summer Lee (D-PA), and André Carson (D-IA). In the letter, they stated:

  • “The American people have made it clear that they want to see an immediate ceasefire, an end to these wars, and the return of hostages, not deepening American involvement in potentially endless regional war.

Pro-War Hawks

While many sober voices are urging de-escalation, other Members are exploiting tensions to call for bombing Iran. Here are some of their statements:

October 1: Following Iran’s strikes in Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated:

  • “This missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point and I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil. These oil refineries need to be hit and hit hard because that is the source of cash for the regime to perpetrate their terror.”

October 1: Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY), in condemning Iran’s missile attack, called for 

  • a response by Israel, the United States, and our strategic partners within the borders of Iran.

October 1: Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) opposed diplomatic efforts to de-escalate, labeling it as “appeasing” the Iranian government, stating:

  • Only threatening the survival of the regime through maximum pressure and direct and disproportionate measures has a chance to influence and alter their criminal activities.”

October 1: Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) stated:

  • “Pray for Israel and then back Israel to the hilt to destroy our common enemies.

October 1: Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL) endorsed targeting Iran’s nuclear program, calling for Israel to:

  • “…launch attacks into Iran to dismantle their nuclear program…The world needs to wake up and take these terrorists at their word before it’s too late.”

October 1: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) collectively called on the Biden-Harris administration to deliver a “strong message” to Iran:

  • “The world needs America to return to a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, and President Biden needs to make clear that there will be decisive economic and potential military ramifications for these actions.”
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