Larson: It’s Congress’s Responsibility

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for the War Powers Resolution (H. Con. Res. 83) that directs the President to end the use of U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran. Larson was an original cosponsor of the resolution.

"The authorization of the use of military force under Article I Section 8 of the Constitution is Congress' responsibility! Any military action is tantamount to an act of war and it is Congress that must lay out the principles, the policies, and justification for action and fully debate and inform the public before any further decisions are made. That has been my position since I opposed the war with Iraq.

"Today's vote to on the War Powers Resolution is the first step that Congress has taken to reassert itself as the Constitution requires it to do. While President Trump does have limited authority to conduct military actions under the War Powers Act, he should have consulted Congress before authorizing the airstrike against Qassem Soleimani. That's why today's vote is important, because it requires the President to do just that. The other step we must take is to repeal the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations of Use of Military Force (AUMFs) that were passed by Congress almost 20 years ago, but due to overly broad language have been used by Presidents Bush, Obama and now Trump to conduct military action outside their intended scope.

"The Constitution requires Congress take responsibility and the American people expect their elected representatives to do their duty," said Larson.

Larson's statement on last week's airstrike can be found here. Larson voted against the Iraq War and has called for the repeal of the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs. In May 2019, Larson sent a letter warning the President that he must come to Congress before engaging U.S. Armed Forces to confront Iran as the 2001 AUMF does not apply to military engagement with Iran. Larson is a cosponsor of Rep. Barbara Lee's bill to repeal the 2001 AUMF (H.R. 1274). Larson is also a cosponsor of Rep. Eshoo's legislation (H.R. 2354) and Rep. Khanna's NDAA Amendment to prohibit the use of any funds for military operations in or against Iran in absence of Congressional authorization.

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