Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, Rep. Jimmy Gomez released the following statement:
“The president’s own statement acknowledges this is war, yet he never came to Congress to ask for authorization to start it. The Constitution is clear that the decision to take this country to war does not belong to one person. That safeguard exists to protect the American people from exactly this kind of situation.
“By launching this operation on his own, the president has put Congress and the country in the worst possible position. He started a war first, and now Congress is being asked to deal with the consequences instead of deciding whether the war should begin at all. Once troops are in harm’s way, the pressure to escalate grows. That is how conflicts expand, costs rise, and American lives are put at risk without a clear plan to end them.
“Iran’s regime is dangerous, it attacks its neighbors, represses and kills its own people, sponsors terrorist proxies, and has threatened the United States for decades. That is not in question. The question is why this president launched a major military operation without showing Congress evidence of an imminent threat just months after claiming the U.S. ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program, and without explaining what comes next. We have seen this playbook before, and it led to wars that lasted years, cost trillions, and took the lives of thousands of Americans in uniform.
“President Trump promised to end foreign wars and put America First. Instead, he has escalated another conflict in the Middle East, putting American service members in danger because of a decision made without authorization or accountability. Too often, working families are the ones who send their sons and daughters into harm’s way, risking death or serious injury, while decisions about war are made without a clear plan and without the consent of the American people.
“That is why the War Powers Resolution introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie must be brought to the House floor as soon as we return. Congress must assert its constitutional authority and make clear that no president can start a war on his own and push this country into another open-ended conflict without authorization, transparency, or a clear end in sight. We can support democracy and stand with the Iranian people without sending more American sons and daughters into another endless war.”