Congressman Veasey On Trump's Decision to Strike Iran to Boost His Political Standing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Veasey released the following statement regarding Trump's decision to unilaterally launch strikes against Iran without Congressional authorization:

"The Constitution is clear: only Congress has the authority to declare war. No president — not even Donald Trump — can unilaterally launch us into a conflict to boost his political standing.

 

Let me clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is a hostile regime that threatens our allies, funds terrorism, and has consistently pursued nuclear capabilities in defiance of international norms. I have no illusions about that. Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon — and America must be prepared to act decisively to prevent that outcome.

But launching a major military strike without Congressional authorization, without coordination with our allies, and without a clear endgame is not leadership — it’s chaos.

 

President Trump’s hair trigger foreign policy has made America weaker, not stronger. He abandoned the JCPOA with no viable replacement, gutted our diplomatic and soft power tools like USAID and Radio Farda, and left our allies in the dark. Now, with one strike, he’s escalated tensions across the region, endangered U.S. troops, and risked dragging our nation into a broader conflict — all without a plan. We need a hard line against Iranian theocracy— but it must be smart, lawful, and backed by a coalition of allies.

 

I pray for the safety of the US troops stationed abroad as we learn more about the details of this strike."