Earlier this week, we asked Southern California members of Congress about their hopes and their practical fears about the efforts to end the war against Iran.
We asked: What are your thoughts on the Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the U.S. aimed at settling the war? Will it provide the solution that President Donald Trump says it will on eliminating an Iran nuclear threat, protecting Israel and opening the Strait of Hormuz? How would you adjust it if you had your druthers? How does it compare with the Obama-era agreement? Will this create a new era of extended diplomacy rather than conflict between Iran and the U.S.?
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, thoughtfully replied:
“Donald Trump’s impulse took us into an illegal war with Iran without a plan for success, and Americans have literally paid the price at the gas pump and at the grocery store. He has failed to achieve any strategic goals, and the MOU unfortunately reflects that. It unfreezes billions in funding for Iran’s regime, caused a global economy breakdown, it removed and allows sanctions against the government to provide a huge profit and allows Iran to export oil in return for reopening the Hormuz Strait and vague promises on nuclear weapons. If this agreement is to produce lasting stability, it must be accompanied by robust oversight, transparency, and accountability, all of which are currently missing.”
Then she adds: “This fiasco demonstrates that Congress must have a voice in decisions of war and peace. That is why I introduced an amendment this past week to prohibit funding for military hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization, except in cases of self-defense. I do not support another costly and open-ended war in the Middle East, and it is time Congress asserted its constitutional authorities to prevent further mismanagement.”
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, also weighed in on this “war of choice”:
“President Trump has signaled an end to his war of choice with Iran. Yet for weeks, American servicemembers have lost their lives, prices have skyrocketed, and the Strait of Hormuz has been closed. The president ran on ending wars, but for the last 15 weeks, his choices have been nothing more than an abject failure.
“President Trump dissolved the agreement that the Obama administration brokered to tamp down Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Now we are left with a deal that reveals the futility of the war itself.”
Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine: “On February 28 of this year, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recklessly and illegally launched a war against Iran with no plan, no clearly defined objectives, and no exit strategy. Unfortunately, nearly four months later, the Islamic Regime is more entrenched and powerful than it was before Trump attacked it. The protests that were threatening to topple the regime have been completely neutralized by the ‘rally around the flag’ effect of U.S. and Israeli attacks against the country. Iran now controls the Strait of Hormuz and can shut it down at any time (as they showed earlier this week). And there are now no constraints on Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
“Trump has achieved peace by capitulating to a deal that accepts a new regional order where Iran is much more powerful than it was before this unnecessary war that Trump started. This is exactly how Trump bankrupted six businesses, including a casino.”
Rep. Derek Tran, D-Anaheim: “I have long advocated for an end to the administration’s war of choice and a renewal of diplomatic negotiations. However, the Trump administration continues to keep Congress in the dark about its strategy to reach a sustainable end to hostilities, prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and lower costs for American families. The American people rightfully distrust the administration to execute the next phase of this conflict. Congress must immediately receive a detailed briefing on the Memorandum of Understanding and any future agreements with the Iranian regime.”
Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Glendale: “First, President Trump dragged America into a reckless war of choice with no exit strategy and no rational justification to the American people. Now, 13 servicemembers have tragically died and hundreds more are injured, just for Trump to hand Iran the very things he spent years claiming he’d never give them. His own deal lifts sanctions and reopens Iran’s oil exports, gives Tehran access to hundreds of billions of dollars with seemingly no guardrails, and leaves us in a weaker position than we were before Trump blew up President Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement in the first place. Meanwhile, the fallout continues to hit Americans at home, driving up the cost of everything from fuel to groceries and leaving families worse off than before he started this war.”
No GOP House members, including Ken Calvert, Young Kim and Jay Obernolte, decided to express their opinion of the president and the Iran war.