Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—released the following statement after the Senate voted to block U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)’s War Powers Resolutionaimed at stopping the unauthorized U.S.-Israel war in Iran:
“The Trump Administration has repeatedly misled the American people about its plans for war against Iran, sending our nation down a dangerous path. This war is illegal and unnecessary.
“Working in lockstep with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Administration has escalated this conflict and failed to provide clear objectives for this reckless war, nor has it explained how its actions will avoid spiraling into further chaos across the Middle East. While the Iranian regime is deeply repressive and the Iranian people deserve a say in their future, acknowledging this reality does not mean giving President Trump a blank check for war.
“The Founders placed the power to declare war with Congress. There needs to be debate about matters of war and peace to ensure America’s interests are best pursued. But Congress has once again failed to stand up to Trump.
“American servicemembers and their families pay the price for Washington’s rush to war, while the decision-makers who launched the war live life largely unchanged. We owe our troops better than another open-ended conflict with no clear plan.
“In the face of Trump shredding our Constitution, it is our responsibility to prevent the United States from being pulled into another needless, open-ended war.”
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