Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement after voting in support of Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) war powers resolution to limit the Trump Administration’s ability to take further military action against Iran without a debate and a vote in Congress.
“Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, and I am eager to continue working with my colleagues to protect our service members in the Middle East, support Israel, get Iran back to the negotiating table, and keep Americans and our allies safe. As with any decision that could put U.S. troops in harm’s way or pull us into a serious international conflict, President Trump should be working with Congress. We have a legal critical role to play and I will not abdicate that responsibility to anyone.”
Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) war powers resolution has bipartisan support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate and would require any further hostilities with Iran be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force. It does not prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack or supporting Israel’s efforts to defend itself from Iranian aggression.
###