Congress Must Reassert War Powers or Iran Strikes Will Not be the Last

In response to the Trump administration attacking Iran, the latest move by the administration to bypass Congress when taking military action, Issue One Vice President of Advocacy Alix Fraser provided the following statement:

“The attacks on Iran mark the second time this year that President Trump has launched large-scale military strikes without seeking congressional approval. Congress is entrusted with the power to declare war in our Constitution, not the president. The Constitution is absolutely clear on that point.

“In his State of the Union address President Trump did not even attempt to make a case to justify attacking Iran. He asked no permission of Congress or the American people to put U.S. military personnel in harm’s way.

“Congress must reclaim its Constitutional authority to decide when our nation goes to war. These attacks must serve as a wakeup call to elected officials whose constituents are being used as pawns for President Trump’s reckless gunboat diplomacy.

“Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) were preparing to force a vote on their War Powers Resolution next week to require Congress to approve military action in Iran. That vote should still be held because Congress must reassert its constitutionally-granted powers. If they do not, it is only a matter of time before U.S. troops are again sent into combat by a president willing to ignore the restraints written into our Constitution.”

Background

Issue One’s We the People Playbook provides a framework for ending the executive branch’s unilateral action around declarations of war. It would encourage Congress to pass legislation that would shorten the window for unauthorized military actions and cut off funding for wars not explicitly approved by Congress. Issue One coordinated with Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), RepresentUS, Principles First, and The Chamberlain Network to develop policy recommendations that would receive broad, bipartisan support and insert them into this playbook. Earlier this week, these groups banded together ahead of the president’s State of the Union address to call on Congress to stop executive branch overreach, including on the issue of war powers.