CTA: Urge Congress to Support Resolutions to End Unauthorized Hostilities in Iran

Note: Both the House and Senate have passed resolutions seeking to block the use of U.S. armed forces in Iran; however, those resolutions were nonbinding. On July 10, the president notified Congress that the ceasefire announced in April had failed and he was reinitiating military action in Iran. The president has claimed that the current hostilities restart the 60-day deadline for Congress to authorize the use of military force, as established by the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Some members of Congress have publicly pushed back on the president's claim that the 60-day clock stopped after the ceasefire announcement in April.  

Please urge your members of Congress to support bipartisan resolutions in the House and the Senate that will direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. 

On Saturday, February 28, the U.S. and Israeli militaries initiated an attack on Iran, resulting in U.S. and civilian casualties. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was the head of Iran's oppressive regime and responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians, was also killed in the attack. The war has since expanded throughout the region.

The Constitution divides war powers between the legislative and executive branches of government: Congress is given the power to raise and support a military and make declarations of war, and the president is the commander in chief of the military. This division was an intentional check on executive power. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 makes explicit the role of Congress in enabling military actions and imposes limitations on the power the president has to make unilateral decisions regarding use of armed forces abroad. 

President Trump initiated hostilities in Iran without evidence of any imminent threat to the U.S. In the following days, he gave open-ended timelines for the duration of the conflict and expressed a willingness to deploy troops on the ground amid "large-scale" combat operations -- all without seeking congressional approval. 

By permitting the president to be the sole decision-maker regarding military incursions, objectives, and timelines, Congress allows the executive president to usurp its own war powers. The resolutions in the Senate and in the House make clear the role of Congress in authorizing military actions.

Please contact your members of Congress to show your support for Congress overseeing the use of armed forces in Iran.

Finally, we invite you to follow up with a quick phone call to your legislators. If you tap the phone icon, it will auto generate the phone numbers for each of your legislators along with helpful tips and talking points.