1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support the bipartisan war powers resolutions being introduced next week by Sen. Tim Kaine and Sen. Rand Paul in the Senate, and Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna in the House. These resolutions would require congressional authorization before the president can use military force against Iran, restoring the constitutional checks and balances that are essential to our democracy. The joint military strikes with Israel against Iran last Saturday were carried out without congressional approval, bypassing the constitutional requirement that Congress vote on acts of war. As Rep. Warren Davidson stated, war requires congressional authorization. This is not a partisan issue but a fundamental question of whether we will uphold the Constitution's separation of powers or allow unchecked executive authority to commit our nation to military conflict. The objective in Iran is not clear, as Rep. Adam Smith noted, and we cannot afford reckless decisions that put American lives and national security at risk without proper deliberation. Earlier this year, a bipartisan coalition including Sens. Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Todd Young supported similar efforts on Venezuela, demonstrating that members from both parties recognize the danger of unilateral military action. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has backed the House resolution, which would require the president to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran. This is exactly the process our founders intended. Sen. Murkowski has emphasized the need for comprehensive briefings to understand the scope, objectives, and risks of military action, and Congress must have the opportunity to fulfill this oversight role before further escalation occurs. I urge you to vote yes on the war powers resolution and stand up for constitutional governance. Representatives need to be on record on this critical issue.