Merkley: Senate Fails Constitutional Test on Trump’s Strikes Against Iran

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—today issued the following statement after the Senate failed to advance Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) War Powers Resolution, which would have required the United States to end unauthorized military involvement in Iran and forcing a debate and vote on the use of force:

“The Constitution is clear: Congress has the power to declare war, not the President.

“To prevent another disastrous forever war, Congress must reassert its constitutional authority. The Senate once again failed that test.

“Let’s be clear: Trump’s unconstitutional strikes on Iran were wrong on all counts—undermining regional stability and diplomatic efforts at a critical moment and risking a regional war that would have put American troops, diplomats, and civilians in danger.

“While we can all agree that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon, preventing that requires following U.S. law and a renewed commitment to diplomacy, like the negotiations that produced the JCPOA, which Trump recklessly abandoned in his first term. President Trump now faces a choice: return to diplomacy or become yet another Republican President who dragged us into another forever war in the Middle East.

“Members of Congress took an oath to the Constitution, not the President. We must reassert Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war and double down on diplomacy to secure a durable peace. We owe it to our servicemembers—and to the American people—to debate and vote before sending U.S. troops into harm’s way. Anything less is a betrayal of that oath.”

Merkley’s remarks on the Senate floor in support of Senator Kaine’s resolution can be found by clicking aquí.

Merkley has repeatedly spoken out against President Trump for bringing the U.S. to the brink of another war in the Middle East and called for the Administration to use its leverage to lead a renewed commitment to diplomacy. Prior to the U.S. strikes against Iran, he joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in introducing the No War Against Iran Act, legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds for any use of military force in or against Iran without specific Congressional authorization.

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