While congressional Illinois Democrats are fuming over President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, Illinois House Republicans are heralding the move as “a great victory” and a show of “strength.”
The U.S. struck three sites over the weekend aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear program, joining Israel’s military campaign. Trump acted without congressional approval, and warned there could be more strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces.
In statements released before Monday’s Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar, Democrats across the country, and some Republicans, questioned whether Trump overstepped his authority. The War Powers Resolution states that a president can launch military attacks only if there is a declaration of war, a “specific statutory authorization” from Congress or a “national emergency created by an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, its armed forces.”
A key Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., warned, “This is not our fight.”
On Monday she took her dissent a step further, writing on social media, “Only 6 months in and we are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3.” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in a response to the strikes: “This is not Constitutional.”
But Illinois’ congressional delegation appeared largely split along party lines in their reactions to the strikes.
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, walked a fine line in his response, both thanking the service members involved in the strikes and writing that “America and the world are more secure because of their success.” But Schneider also noted that a diplomatic path was “preferable to war.” And he joined Democrats in asking for a classified briefing to assess the consequences of the strikes.
“While Iran’s nuclear ambitions demand a strategic, serious and coordinated response, it remains the sole Constitutional authority of Congress — not the President — to take our nation into war,” Schneider said in a statement. “That prerogative exists not only as a matter of law, but as a safeguard.”
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, also a member of the Jewish Caucus, joined other Democrats in writing that “Democracy, not military action, remains the answer.” Schakowsky called Trump’s statement over the weekend that he “may” strike or ‘may not do it,” both “alarming” and “reckless.”
“The U.S., alongside our allies, must do everything in our power to find an immediate diplomatic path to to stop the fighting, prevent a larger war, and ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” Schakowsky said in a social media post.
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth both called for diplomacy over war. Duckworth said Trump must come before Congress and uphold the Constitution.
“The Trump Administration illegally bombed Iran tonight, putting American troops and citizens at risk of retaliation and threatening to draw us into yet another Middle East war without Constitutionally-required Congressional approval,” Duckworth said in a statement over the weekend. “I have long said Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. But this goal could and should have been pursued through diplomatic means first.”
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, too, said Trump “cannot take unilateral military action in Iran without Congressional approval.” Krishnamoorthi said he will be seeking detailed information about the strikes this week, as a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee.
U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, Jonathan Jackson, Bill Foster and Eric Sorensen are all calling for Trump to debrief Congress on his actions. Rep. Nikki Budzinski wrote that “the power to declare war lies with Congress.” And Rep. Mike Quigley called for diplomacy over war.
Illinois Republicans, who were all endorsed by Trump during their most recent elections, applauded the strikes. Rep. Mary Miller called it “a great victory for the United States.” Rep. Darin LaHood thanked service members and the intelligence community “for holding this red line to protect U.S. national security.” And Rep. Mike Bost said that he placed “trust” in Trump’s decision to target Iran’s nuclear program “due to intelligence that indicates the regime was within reach of developing nuclear weapons…”
“He showed the strength to ensure that never happens,” Bost wrote.