New Dem Veterans Urge Passage of War Powers Resolution, Prevent “Mistakes of Past Wars”
Today, a group of New Democrat Coalition Veterans led by Veterans Task Force Chair Herb Conaway (NJ-03) and including New Dem Vice Chair Salud Carbajal (CA-24), National Security Working Group Chair Gil Cisneros (CA-31), and Reps. Jason Crow (CO-06), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07) issued a statement ahead of the war powers resolution vote in the House:
"We are veterans who stood watch for this country and who still carry the costs of decisions made in war. The ongoing military actions against Iran were ordered with too many unknowns and too little regard for the men and women who are being asked to risk their lives. Six servicemembers have already been killed, and sadly more are likely to follow. The Trump Administration seems bound to repeat the mistakes of past wars—shifting justifications, rash decision-making, unclear objectives, and no credible plan to protect troops or prevent regional escalation.
“These lessons are not theoretical. As warriors, caregivers, mechanics, communicators, and leaders in uniform, we fought for this country, treated its wounded, buried its dead, and watched families pay the price for strategic failures. The Trump Administration has charged headlong into another conflict in the Middle East while offering no transparency about the risks it poses to American servicemembers, embassy personnel, or stranded civilians across the region. The American people don’t want young men and women dying in another forever war. Without a clear strategy and a full accounting of the risks, these strikes risk drawing us into another open-ended conflict.
“The Constitution grants Congress alone the authority to declare war precisely to prevent reckless decisions that send Americans into harm’s way without a clear national purpose. The Administration has failed to prove there was a credible, imminent threat to justify this campaign. We urge passage of the Khanna–Massie War Powers Resolution to restore that essential check. If the President seeks to take the nation to war with Iran, he must come to Congress and make the case openly, honestly, and with a plan that respects the sacrifices of veterans and protects those still in uniform."
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