WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) , member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and author of the bipartisan Senate bill The Prevention of War with Iran Act introduced in 2018 and 2019 , issued the following statement after the House voted to adopt a War Powers Act resolution to terminate the use of U.S. military force in hostilities against Iran. Udall is a co-sponsor of a similar Senate resolution ( S.J.Res.63 ) in response to the latest escalation barring the use of force against Iran without congressional authorization. Udall’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent unconstitutional war with Iran, based on his 2019 legislation, received a bipartisan majority on the Senate floor in a vote on June 28, 2019.
“Today’s prudent House vote reflects the will of the people: no war with Iran. And it reaffirms what our country’s Founders intended: that Congress—as the direct representatives of the American people—has the sole power to take our nation to war,” Udall said. “Another unnecessary and disastrous war in the Middle East with no end in sight is not the ‘better deal’ the president promised when he tossed the Iran nuclear deal and diplomacy aside. As we deal with a reckless president and administration that are flouting the Constitution and justifying themselves with shifting stories and questionable intelligence, the Senate must also take action to prevent another unwanted and disastrous war in the Middle East. This resolution is important to act on quickly and I will continue to press for further action on our legislation to bar any funding for war with Iran in the absence of specific congressional authorization.”
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, resolutions concerning engagement in foreign hostilities are privileged, meaning that the Senate can be required to vote up or down on the legislation with a majority vote for passage.
