House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks Delivers Remarks During Floor Debate on Iran War Powers Resolution

Washington, D.C. - Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks on the floor, as prepared, during debate on House Concurrent Resolution 40, his War Powers Resolution directing President Trump to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.

"I rise today in strong support of my War Powers Resolution, and I do so because the Constitution of the United States demands it - and so does the conscience of this House of Representatives.

"Donald Trump has dragged the American people into a war of choice, launched without congressional authorization. The president has no coherent strategy, and this open-ended, undefined military engagement is precisely what the War Powers Resolution was designed to restrain.

"On February 28th, the president launched an attack while negotiations between Iran and the United States were actively ongoing. Diplomacy was ongoing. Iran's foreign minister had stated just days before that a historic agreement was "within reach." There was a path forward that did not require a single American service member to be put in harm's way. And instead of pursuing diplomacy, the president started this war.

"The president abandoned the diplomatic path - not because diplomacy failed, but because it was never truly given a chance. As a result of the administration's decisions, the new Iranian regime is more hardline, the strait of Hormuz - which was previously open - is now closed, costs of gas for the American people have skyrocketed, and this fragile ceasefire is one threatening civilization tweet away from failing.

"And what has this war accomplished? The administration and Trump himself may be declaring victory, but let's look at the contradictory objectives this administration has used to justify the war.

"First, it was that Iran posed an imminent threat, but no imminent threat was ever demonstrated. Then it was about nuclear weapons, but the administration itself had declared the nuclear program obliterated. Then it was ballistic missiles. The goalposts keep moving because there was never a clear objective to begin with.

"Meanwhile, the costs of this war keep mounting. 13 American servicemembers have been killed in this conflict and more than a thousand civilians, including hundreds of children, have been killed since the war began. These are not just statistics, these are human beings, and we have a moral duty to acknowledge that reality.

"And then there is the impact on everyday Americans. American families are paying the price at the gas pump and the grocery store. This war has disrupted global travel and trade, halted flights in and out of the Middle East, and led to major shipping reroutes. Leading energy analysts warn it could be a long time before prices go down, even after the war ends, and that we are looking at elevated energy costs well into the end of 2026.

"The two-week ceasefire is set to expire on April 22nd. Thus far, neither side has indicated what comes next, beyond continued blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. We are standing at the edge of a cliff, and Congress must act before this president pushes us off. Every day we delay, we inch closer to a conflict with no exit ramp.

"This resolution does not leave America defenseless. It preserves the president's authority to defend the United States and our allies from imminent attack. What it says - plainly and constitutionally - is that one person does not have the power to take this nation to war alone.

"The Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Don't take my word for it, even the president acknowledged this saying, quote, 'As a war, you're supposed to get approval from Congress.'

"And this is not a skirmish. This is not a military operation. It is a war.

"We are not the Iranian Parliament. We are not rubber stamps. We are the Article 1 branch of government, and we serve as a check and balance on presidential overreach. This duty is not optional.

"Today, this body has a choice. We can assert our constitutional authority and demand a return to the only path that leads to lasting security - diplomacy, negotiation, verification, and deterrence. Or we can surrender that authority and let this war grind on without accountability, without a strategy, and without an end in sight.

"I choose diplomacy. I choose the Constitution. I choose to defend the principle that war is a last resort, not a first option.

"The American people are watching. The cameras of history are rolling. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote yes."