Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32) issued the following statement on the escalating situation with Iran and the upcoming House consideration of the War Powers Resolution:
"President Trump continues to act like an emperor, not a president. He should have consulted Congress before launching the airstrike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, as no authorization for war with Iran existed or currently exists. This reckless action has escalated an already tense situation and put American troops and our allies in the Middle East at greater risk. Now the President is sending more troops overseas into harm's way and threatening more attacks. As a leader, he has failed the American people.
"Under both Republican and Democratic administrations, I have strongly opposed and condemned unauthorized military action. The Constitution vests the power to declare war with Congress, and this week we will reassert these War Powers. In the meantime, we call on this administration to refrain from further escalatory acts. We must also repeal the 2002 Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF), which President Trump wrongfully cited as justification for the strike and subsequent threats.
"We cannot get roped into another disastrous military conflict like the Iraq War, in which thousands of our brave servicemen and women died. Many of those who returned home brought with them lasting physical injuries and invisible wounds of war, such as Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These have had a devastating effect on our veterans and their families. The cost of another endless war in the Middle East is too great for our nation to bear."