WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), the author of a bipartisan amendment to prevent an unconstitutional war with Iran, responded to President Trump’s threats of military action following attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
“The president is taking to Twitter to say that the United States military is ‘locked and loaded’ on behalf of the Saudi Kingdom, threatening military strikes against Iran that Congress has not authorized. Iran’s behavior in the region is highly problematic on many levels, but Saudi Arabia’s oil interests do not determine whether the United States goes to war – the U.S. Congress does. Rather than threats of war, the right move is active diplomacy to lower tensions in the region.
“It is clear that we are at this point because the Trump administration’s Middle East policy is a failure, in large part due to the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign and the unilateral abandonment of diplomacy, which are only causing more chaos in the region and doing nothing to advance U.S. interests. Congress needs a full intelligence briefing on this latest incident as quickly as possible. And we must insist that the final National Defense Authorization Act – which is being negotiated right now -- include my bipartisan amendment to prevent an unconstitutional war with Iran. Congress needs to act before President Trump launches us into an unauthorized, misguided military conflict in the Middle East to make up for his diplomatic failures.”
