Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), along with CPC Peace and Security Task Force Chair Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), released the following statement urging the Trump Administration to de-escalate tensions with Iran:
“President Trump has spent his tenure in the White House undermining regional stability in the Middle East and threatening to drag us deeper into endless war. Whether it’s tearing up the Iran Deal, destabilizing our coalition allies, or fueling the brutal war in Yemen, the end result has been the same: pushing peace in the Middle East further out of reach. Time after time, President Trump has shown that he cannot be trusted to tell the truth or exercise restraint. The escalation of tensions with Iran is just the latest example of his reckless, short-sighted and dangerous approach.
“Congress has a constitutional responsibility under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution to debate and vote on military action – a duty that we have abdicated for far too long. As President Trump once again threatens to pull us into a disastrous, costly, and unnecessary war in Iran, Congress must act to prevent another open-ended military quagmire in the Middle East. Earlier this year, the House passed a National Defense Authorization Act which included an amendment prohibiting President Trump from starting an unauthorized war with Iran. As we negotiate with the Senate, Democrats must make it clear that this provision is non-negotiable and must be preserved in the final bill.
“There is no military solution to our conflicts in the Middle East. Instead of fanning the flames of war, we should be pursuing peace through sustained and meaningful diplomacy.”
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