@democrats-armedservices.house.gov
The House Armed Services Committee Democrats are committed to providing oversight and funding for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Armed Forces, and portions of the Department of Energy under the leadership of Ranking Member Adam Smith.
"How did the America First agenda fail in Iran? Because I think the president sincerely meant... if you put me in office, I'm going ... to make sure we don't go to war w/Iran. He failed. We're at war w/Iran & 14 other countries have been dragged into it."
- @adamsmith.house.gov youtu.be/0U3ozxhwd3o
Read Ranking Member Smith's complete statement here: democrats-armedservices.house.gov/press-releas...
While some of my colleagues have made clear they support the operation, we cannot continue to abdicate our responsibility as Members of Congress and as a co-equal branch of government."
- @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution is clear: Congress holds the exclusive power to declare war.
The resulting chaos has destabilized the region and taken a toll on U.S. military resources, resulting in the deaths of six American service members already and leaving thousands of American citizens stranded and struggling to get to safety.
He did so without congressional authorization and without making the case to the American public. He has yet to provide a coherent rationale, timeline, or plan.
I am equally disturbed by and vehemently opposed to the authoritarian and autocratic manner in which President Trump unilaterally decided to launch his war of choice nearly a week ago.
“I voted in support of the bipartisan war powers resolution today because I believe war must be authorized by Congress. I also have grave concerns about what is happening in Iran and throughout the Middle East.
"What does success look like in Iran? What are the objections we are trying to achieve...? How do we know we are on plan...? The lack of specifics are troubling, particularly in terms of how long this is going to go on."
- @adamsmith.house.gov questioning UnderSec Colby.
youtu.be/9CjHEcJnQbQ
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov asked Undersecretary of Defense Colby to explain the NDS and Trump Admin's values and how those square with Trump's campaign promises to end forever wars and the war Trump has launched in the Middle East.
youtu.be/9q-vpPcP8tg
"What we need to do is innovate faster and get to scale. ... We've made some progress ... . But clearly there's a lot more work to be done."
@democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
youtu.be/dey3qYGFWhc
"...(E)ven if you support this war, and I don't ... as a Member of Congress ... you should be willing to go on record and vote to back that up. The president shouldn't be allowed to do this on his own."
HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
www.youtube.com/live/-ZDBy21...
"We have U.S. civilians trapped in the Middle East being told to leave... . Hezbollah and Israel are now back in a full-scale conflict. It's spiraling out of control with no clear plan how to have an off-ramp."
Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov on AC 360 @cnn.com
youtu.be/8nyK4Zbh-Jg
Read their complete joint statement here: democrats-armedservices.house.gov/_cache/files...
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov joined his colleagues on the Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Appropriations Committees in demanding direct answers from top Trump Admin officials set to brief Congress later today on U.S. military operations against Iran.
Sharing new interview with @adamsmith.house.gov, Ranking Member of House Armed Services, fresh from this pm's classified Congressional briefing w/Hegseth, Rubio, & Caine.
Hear what Rep. Smith has to say about Trump's dangerous new war in the Middle East 👇
www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/rep-adam-s...
4 Americans. 11 Israelis. 555 Iranians.
Dead after Trump’s strike on Iran.
Rep. @adamsmith.house.gov questions the unnecessary sacrifice.
WATCH: https://contrarian.substack.com/p/the-human-toll-of-trumps-unconscionable
This is a war.
This is a direct attack on a foreign nation.
This should legally require congressional approval.
This morning, I joined CNN to discuss the war in Iran.
This is the most cavalier manner any president has ever gone to war with ... . Saying, 'Man, some people are going to get killed.' ... You have to take much more responsibility for placing the lives of the men and women who serve our country on the line than that."
- RM @AdamSmith on @MSNOW Sunday
"Trump's war against Iran drags on with no end in sight, and increasingly with no clear objective. ... We have no explanation, while the president callously and cavalierly says, 'Well, there'll be more casualties.'"
- @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
"President Trump has launched a war of choice against Iran... without making the case to the American people ... and without congressional approval. ... Congress needs to get back into session as quickly as possible and correct that mistake."
- HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
Read House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Smith's complete statement here: democrats-armedservices.house.gov/press-releas...
“Overnight, the President ordered preemptive military strikes against Iran. ... I oppose these preemptive strikes and am concerned the situation is prone to rapid escalation that puts Americans at risk and threatens to drag us into a war of choice with no strategic endgame."
- RM @RepAdamSmith
Read the joint statement with Ranking Member Smith, Democratic Leadership, @meeks.house.gov, @jahimes.bsky.social and @rokhanna.bsky.social here: democrats-armedservices.house.gov/press-releas...
Next week, every Member will have the opportunity to go on the record as to whether they support military action against Iran absent Congressional approval.”
- @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov
We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress.
However, undertaking a war of choice in the Middle East, without a full understanding of all the attendant risks to our servicemembers and to escalation, is reckless.
The Iranian regime is brutal and destabilizing, seen most recently in the killing of thousands of protestors.
This legislation would require the President to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran.
"As soon as Congress reconvenes next week, we will compel a vote of the full House of Representatives on the bipartisan Khanna-Massie War Powers resolution.
