Congressman Crow Statement on U.S., Iran Military Strikes

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) issued the following statement after President Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iran launched retaliatory strikes against a U.S. military base in Qatar:

In a statement, Congressman Crow said:

“I strongly condemn Iran’s attack against American servicemembers in the Middle East. The Iranian government sponsors terrorism, seeks to harm Americans, and works to undermine U.S. interests. Thankfully, Iran’s missiles were intercepted and no American servicemembers were injured in this attack. 

“This attack on American troops is the direct consequence of President Trump’s decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The President exceeded his authority when he conducted military strikes on Iran without congressional approval. The Constitution is clear–only Congress can authorize the use of military force unless there is an imminent risk to Americans or U.S. facilities. As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I have not seen any evidence that Iran posed an imminent risk to Americans or U.S. facilities.

“Before coming to Congress, I served as an Army Ranger and paratrooper. I did three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was a part of the decades-long wars in the Middle East that claimed thousands of American lives, cost trillions of dollars, and diminished U.S. credibility around the world. America cannot repeat our past mistakes. When elites in Washington make decisions, it’s young men and women from where I grew up who get sent to fight. The last thing I want to see is another generation of Americans pulled into another Middle East conflict.

“The American people deserve an open and honest debate about the path forward. Congress must reclaim its power over the decision to send young men and women into conflict.”

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