Duckworth Statement in Response to Biden Administration Strike on Iran-Linked Targets in Syria

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Biden administration launched a targeted airstrike in Syria:

“Let’s be clear: any attack from Iran-backed militias—or any adversary—on U.S. citizens and our coalition partners is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. President Biden should take action when necessary to defend and protect our troops and I’m looking forward to learning more details about this strike at this week’s upcoming briefing.

“But this operation appears to have been deliberately planned over the course of 10 days, and I’m disappointed that President Biden chose to continue the executive branch’s long-running reliance on a constitutionally questionable justification for military responses like this, instead of seeking explicit authorization from Congress to carry out the strike.

“This situation highlights just how overdue we are as a nation for an honest, thorough discussion about war powers and how critical it is for Congress to stop allowing the executive branch to dominate the discussion. Because when we fail to exert our constitutional duty, we fail to provide critical checks and balances. I am hopeful that, going forward, the President will work with Congress to increase transparency and reduce gray area in the handling of war powers.”

• Print
• Tweet