A dozen House Democrats who are veterans announced support for a war powers resolution in the wake of recent U.S. strikes against Iran.
“We write firstmost as Patriots who love our country. Each and every one of us wore the uniform with pride. Each and every one of us was ready and willing to lay down our lives to protect our fellow Americans, and to support and defend our Constitution,” a Monday letter from the group of Democrats reads.
“With that in mind, we want to thank our troops for their bravery, from the B-2 pilots to those stationed across the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility. We also write as Veterans.”
The letter, addressed to President Trump, features the signatures of Democratic Reps. Pat Ryan (N.Y.), Gil Cisneros (Calif.), Eugene Vindman (Va.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Bobby Scott (Va.), Jimmy Panetta (Calif.), Derek Tran (Calif.), Herb Conaway (N.J.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.), Salud Carbajal (Calif.) and Ted Lieu (Calif.).
President Trump announced Saturday that the United States had bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, stepping into a conflict between Iran and Israel that began earlier this month.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced a war powers resolution last week that would require Trump to end “the use” of U.S. armed forces in Iran without congressional approval.
“We must continue to stand strongly with our Israeli allies — including active and robust support for the defense of the state of Israel and its people, as we have for decades. But we must be very clear; American-led, offensive military operations against Iran — including Saturday night’s preventive air strikes — are different,” the lawmakers said in their letter.
“We all swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Article 1 Section 8 explicitly requires a vote by Congress to declare war. In recognition of that clear and sacred Constitutional duty, we will all be supporting a War Powers Resolution,” the group added.
When reached for comment, the White House noted a post from Trump on his Truth Social account.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump said in the post.
