WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Senate passed a resolution to prevent unauthorized war with Iran on a bipartisan vote of 55-45.
Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been a leading proponent of limiting presidents’ ability to wage war and drew national attention for a comprehensive proposal to require explicit Congressional authorization of American military campaigns. Since last summer, Merkley has been leading efforts to push back on the Trump administration’s risky escalations towards a potential war with Iran.
“Today’s bipartisan vote sends a strong message: Americans do not want another endless war in the Middle East, and Americans demand that this president follow the Constitution.
“Our founders gave Congress the responsibility to declare war, recognizing that the decision to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way is too weighty to leave to any one president or any single individual. President Trump’s reckless actions towards Iran – bringing our nation to the brink of war – show exactly why this power must not rest with one individual alone.
“Today, the Senate sent a powerful message that America does not want to bluster and blunder into another war in the Middle East, and voted to restore our constitutional system of governance.”
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