Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today released the following statement after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
"President Trump, along with his right-wing extremist Israeli ally Benjamin Netanyahu, has begun an illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war. Tragically, Trump is gambling with American lives and treasure to fulfill Netanyahu's decades-long ambition of dragging the United States into armed conflict with Iran.
"The U.S. Constitution is clear. It is the Congress that declares war, not a president acting unilaterally. The Senate must reconvene immediately and vote on a pending War Powers Resolution, which I will strongly support.
"Further, this attack against Iran is a clear violation of international law and will create increased instability in an already dangerous world. If the United States and Israel can launch an attack against a sovereign nation, so can any other country. Might does not make right. It creates international anarchy, death, destruction and human misery.
"The American people were lied to about Vietnam. The American people were lied to about Iraq. The American people are being lied to again today — and once again, it is ordinary people who will pay the price.
"The people of our country, no matter what their political persuasion, do not want endless war. They want decent-paying jobs, and health care and housing that they can afford. They want their kids to have an excellent education.
"We must not allow Trump to force us into another senseless war. No war with Iran."
U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) said:
“President Trump’s unilateral decision to go to war with Iran is reckless and wrong. I share my concern with all Vermonters about the well-being of our troops, who will now be in harm’s way. Our hopes and prayers are with them and their families for their safety.
“The Iran regime is a threat to its own people, violently killing thousands of its citizens for protesting; a threat to the region, where it supports violent proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas; and a potential global threat as it seeks to acquire nuclear weapons.
“There are many more questions than answers after this attack: First, President Trump has not told the American people why he is abandoning the diplomatic approach he said he preferred and starting military action. Is it to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, which he said was already obliterated after the Operation Midnight Hammer attack? Is it for regime change? If so, can that be accomplished by bombing alone or does the president intend to put American boots on the ground to finish the job? And then what happens? Our past attempts at regime change in the Middle East have been costly failures.
“Donald Trump said he was running for president to end wars, not start them. We have seen how regime change wars—Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya—are easy to start but hard and costly to end. And when they do end there is more, not less, regional instability.
“President Trump has initiated this war. It is a war of choice. The president owes it to the American people to come to Congress and explain his objectives and his justification. He has done neither.
“The United States Senate must immediately reconvene to take up the War Powers Resolution put forward by Senator Kaine and Senator Paul. Congress has a duty under Article I of the Constitution to be the branch that authorizes whether the United States will go to war.”
Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) said:
“President Trump has launched another dangerous, illegal attack on Iran without authorization from Congress. We have no reason to believe America was at any imminent risk - especially after President Trump claimed to have ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program in June. It’s true that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads a brutal and oppressive regime, and I support the Iranian people bravely protesting to bring change. But this attack is not a plan for peace. It has put our troops in harm's way, thrown the entire region into conflict, and violates our Constitution and Congressional authority.
“Speaker Johnson must immediately reconvene the House so we can pass a War Powers Resolution to rein in this unauthorized use of our military and taxpayer dollars.
“We have no kings in America. We are a democracy in which the people get to decide the course of our nation. We must stand with the American people who have told us they do not want any costly wars or regime change. They want us focused here at home on providing healthcare, bringing down the cost of groceries, and building more homes. We as members of Congress must listen to what Americans have told us and vote accordingly.”
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