Rep. Mike Levin’s Statement on the Ceasefire Announcement Between Israel and Iran
Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement in response to the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran:
“I am hopeful that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will hold — and lead to lasting diplomacy. The world is safer without a nuclear-armed Iran, and preventing that outcome remains a vital U.S. national security interest.
“I’m deeply grateful to the brave U.S. service members who carried out this mission and to all those serving in the region. Their courage, discipline, and commitment to duty are extraordinary. My prayers are with them and their families.
“However, as of now, Congress has not been briefed on the intelligence that justified this strike. We don’t know whether the threat was truly imminent or how much damage was done to Iran’s nuclear program. Ordering a strike of this magnitude without consulting Congress likely violated Article I of the Constitution, which gives only Congress the power to declare war or authorize the use of military force.
“The administration’s reliance on the 2001 AUMF is shaky at best. That law was passed to authorize military action against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks — specifically al Qaeda and its affiliates. Iran is not al Qaeda. Using that decades-old authorization to justify this strike stretches the law beyond recognition.
“That’s why I’ll support a War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress’s constitutional role. No president, Democrat or Republican, gets to take this country to war alone. We either defend the role of Congress now — or risk losing it permanently.”
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