Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), member of the bipartisan Senate National Security Working Group, reacted to President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional decision to order U.S. attacks on Iran without congressional authorization:
“I am grateful for the professionalism and bravery of our armed forces, and I commend the meticulous planning and execution that kept servicemembers out of harm’s way during last night’s complex operation.
“Nevertheless, in the absence of evidence that Iran had made the decision to build a bomb and was constructing the mechanism of a bomb, and without the approval of Congress, the order to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities was unconstitutional and should never have been given.
“The Iranian regime is a malevolent actor which supports terrorism against Americans and poses an existential threat to Israel. But I am aware of no intelligence concluding that Iran’s acquisition of a bomb was imminent, and that would therefore justify this strike. We simply do not know what will happen next, and a war with yet another country in the Middle East is not what Americans want, nor what Congress has authorized. The President may declare this will be a one-time operation but that is far from guaranteed.
“This week, the Administration will finally brief Congress, and we must demand answers from them on their justification for these strikes, the intelligence they relied upon, their plan to prevent potential further escalation and retaliation against U.S. personnel and interests, and how they expect to reach a diplomatic deal to permanently stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. We must ensure that Donald Trump does not continue to unilaterally put American lives at risk.
“For the sake of the tens of thousands of American servicemembers stationed across the region, and others who may be mobilized in the future, we must ensure that Donald Trump cannot unilaterally immerse us in yet another war without justification to Congress or the American people.”
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