1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to exercise Congress's constitutional authority to stop unauthorized military action against Iran. President Trump has initiated military strikes against Iran without congressional approval, in direct violation of the Constitution's war powers clause, which vests the power to declare war in Congress, not the president. Congress has not issued any authorization for the use of military force against Iran. The administration has offered shifting rationales for these strikes, including changing the Iranian government, preventing attacks on protesters, and responding to 40 years of Iranian provocations. Yet according to Eugene Fidell, a Yale Law School expert on the law of armed conflict, the only circumstances allowing presidential military action without congressional authorization are when there is an actual or imminent threat of attack on the United States. The administration has not demonstrated what made this particular moment different from the preceding 40 years of tensions with Iran. This represents a fundamental violation of constitutional war powers and authoritarian disregard for the rule of law. When presidents ignore constitutional constraints on foreign military action, it signals they may disregard the rule of law domestically as well. This unconstitutional war leaves American armed forces at the whim of one person rather than subject to the deliberative process the Constitution requires. Congress must assert its constitutional authority. You can withhold funding for unauthorized military operations, issue formal disapproval resolutions, and make clear that pursuing an unconstitutional war constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor. The confirmation of an unqualified Defense Secretary has only compounded this crisis. I urge you to demonstrate the courage shown by representatives like Barbara Lee, who voted against the AUMF after 9/11, and oppose this illegal military action. The American people deserve leadership that respects constitutional limits and prevents further destabilization of the Middle East. Please take immediate action to stop this unconstitutional war.