||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN |||
Over the weekend, President Trump announced the start of massive and ongoing military operations against Iran. I joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the New Democrat Coalition to release statements on U.S. strikes against Iran.
Here is the statement from Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries:
“Overnight, Donald Trump announced the start of massive and ongoing military operations against Iran. The framers of the United States Constitution gave Congress the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people.
“Iran is a bad actor and must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region. However, absent exigent circumstances, the Trump administration must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war.
“Donald Trump failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran. Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions. We pray for the safety of the men and women of the U.S. military as they have been put into harm’s way in a dangerous theater of war.
“If Iran’s nuclear program was “completely and totally obliterated” by the military strikes in June 2025, as Donald Trump boldly proclaimed, there should be no need to strike them now. Equally troublesome, the advancement of security and stability in the Middle East requires more than military might, as we painfully discovered in several failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Trump administration must explain itself to the American people and Congress immediately, provide an ironclad justification for this act of war, clearly define the national security objective and articulate a plan to avoid another costly, prolonged military quagmire in the Middle East.
“The War Powers Resolution introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie demands that President Trump remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran absent Congressional authorization. House Democrats remain committed to compelling a vote on this resolution upon our return.”
Here is the New Democrat Coalition statement:
“The Constitution explicitly gives Congress and only Congress the authority and heavy responsibility to send our nation to war. We have not seen any intelligence indicating an imminent threat that would justify risking the lives of American servicemembers. Speaker Johnson must immediately reconvene the House so that we may vote on a war powers resolution.
“We have no false impressions of Iran’s regime. They repress their people at home, sponsor terror campaigns against the U.S. and our allies, and bolster violent insurgencies abroad. We cannot allow these realities to cloud the serious analysis and debate that must take place before we engage in war.
“We are fully confident in the capabilities of our military and servicemembers, and are praying for their safety and success. We also know the cost of a prolonged conflict with no defined conclusion. The American people do not want another endless war. They don’t want more flag-draped coffins, more of our brave young men and women needlessly sent into harm’s way without a clear purpose or strategy.
“Congress must rise to the moment and exercise its constitutional duties to serve as a check on the President before more troops are put in harm’s way.”
More soon…
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My statement on Iran is: Rick Larsen– You want to stabilize the Middle East? Stop voting to send more arms and money to Israel, and quit taking AIPAC bribes.
Our Presidents actions are both legal and constitutional !
The highly partisan democratic caucus statement is all too typical of their nihilist world view.
We have engaged in over 100 military campaigns without a declaration of war or congressional “approval” throughout our history. From the “shores of Tripoli” in 1803 to the present including Bill Clinton bombing Kosovo and Barak Obama bombing Syria and Libya in 2011, for which then Speaker Pelosi stated “he needs no authorization”.
In fact congress has only “declared” war against eleven countries engaged in five wars; War of 1812, Mexican American War, Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Most noteworthy our bloodiest war, the American Civil War was not accompanied by a congressional declaration. So there is ample precedent for the President as Executive and Military Commander under Article II of the Constitution to take this action.
Notwithstanding that the “War Powers Act” is”unsettled”. It arguably trespasses on Article II without authority to do so in Article I, violating the “separation of powers” that holds our branches of government to be equal and obviating any notion that congress has authority to “control” the other branches through mere legislation. Moreover our President appears to have made proper notice under the Act as noted by Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) in comments on March 2nd.
But beyond the partisan legal posturing is the undeniable fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has waged unceasing war against the United States for the last 47 years. Iran and its proxies have killed thousands of Americans in a war that six administrations have pretended didn’t exist. It is our longest “Forever War” and our President appears resolved to end it once and for all by facilitating an opportunity for the people of Iran to overthrow the current authoritarian regime. How can that be immoral?
Consequently the caucus’ arguments and supporting comments presented by the County Democratic Party Chair and others here are clearly partisan propaganda that require serious scrutiny and amplify a growing concern for the viability of the Party. The Democratic Party of my youth was inspired by the leadership of John F. Kennedy, who in his inaugural address proclaimed:
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” How can that be immoral ?
Well argued, Phil . . . however, a series of precedents does not override the Constitution. It is up to the courts to define whether there is a clear conflict, or a more nuanced one.
The War Power Act was signed into law by one President. His successor now challenges its validity. You argue that it is “mere legislation”, but that ignores the Constitutional provision that otherwise would give only the Congress the power to declare war. Think about the recent tariffs case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the power to levy tariffs belongs solely to the Congress, EXCEPT to the extent that Congress (using “mere” legislation”) delegates some of that power to the President. A similar approach to the War Powers Act would mean that Congress can delegate war powers, under those certain conditions imposed by the War Powers Act.
I have a hunch we may hear from the Court before too long.
Yes Mr. Marshall, “unsettled” refers directly to the absence of a court determination.
I offer in clarification that the “War Powers Act” was not signed by the President but passed over a veto, and unlike delegation of taxing and commerce authority residing in Article I, the power to “declare” war, also in Article I is incongruent with the power to “make” war which resides in Article II Section 2. So the greater constitutional question appears to be whether the Congress can delegate Article II power to itself.
We have been led from the beginning by precedence established by the “founders”. Indeed it’s my understanding that the first draft of the constitution gave power to Congress to “make” war, but “declare” was inserted instead to reserve “making” war to the War Department operating under the executive and command authority found in Article II. I wonder how “Originalists” will see it.
We live in interesting times, thank you for your informed and civil comments.
“…the undeniable fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has waged unceasing war against the United States for the last 47 years. Iran and its proxies have killed thousands of Americans in a war that six administrations have pretended didn’t exist. It is our longest “Forever War….”
What planet do you live on? What is the source of your imaginary reality?
MJ, in less than 30 seconds, Claude.ai listed 976 Americans killed by Iran or its proxies in the past 47 years. The list is too long to reproduce here..
That’s 976 Americans in the wrong place at the wrong time. Young men fighting old men’s wars… for oil. U.S. lives are no more valuable on the human scale than are Iranian lives, (with by and far the vast majority of murders being noncombatants). The blame for their deaths lies squarely on the shoulders of decisions that were made by the U.S. government.
Using AI– here’s a list that’s too long to reproduce here. How many Iranian people have been killed by U.S. interventionalist policies?
Overall, the consequences of U.S. interventions in Iran and the region have resulted in significant Iranian casualties over the years. The impacts are multifaceted, involving direct military actions, indirect consequences from support of opposing forces, and long-term economic sanctions.
While exact figures are difficult to substantiate due to the multifaceted nature of causality, a conservative approximation suggests that between 100,000 to 200,000 Iranian lives may have been lost due to the cumulative impacts of U.S. sanctions and related economic policies over the past decades. This includes both direct and indirect consequences of deteriorating public health and economic conditions.
Beyond that,
The 1953 Coup (CIA sponsored Operation Ajax) Approximately 3,000. Civilian casualties and political suppression post-coup against Mossadegh.
Political Repression (1953-1979)–
After the coup the Shah’s regime enacted strict measures against political dissent, leading to widespread arrests, torture, and executions. Estimates suggest that between 5,000 to 10,000 individuals were executed by government forces.
Iranian Revolution (1979)
The revolution itself was marked by violent confrontations between the Shah’s forces and revolutionaries. During the revolution, estimates of deaths vary significantly, with figures suggesting anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 people might have lost their lives due to conflict and repression.
Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)- At least 1 million
Recent Conflicts (2010s-2026)– It’s conservative to estimate that thousands of Iranian casualties can be directly attributed to military operations, protests, and conflicts influenced by U.S. policies from the 2010s through 2026. This includes both military losses and civilian casualties during protests and conflicts arising from U.S. interventionist motives in the region.
Currently– over a thousand (mostly civilians) have been killed in the current proxy war that the U.S. is fighting for Israel.