Congressman Pat Harrigan Statement on Operation Epic Fury

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Here's how I really feel about Iran: People used to ask me how I felt about progress in Afghanistan. I would always say we were three weeks away from victory and three days away from defeat on a sliding scale. Yesterday we were in the exact same spot. Tomorrow we'd be in the exact same spot. We were allowed to do enough to not lose, but we never were allowed to do what we needed to do to win.

Play that theme across the rest of our Middle Eastern involvements, anywhere we decided to sponsor a color revolution. Grand idea and scheme of involvement. We'd get involved, commit resources, people, and try to Westernize or "capacity build." Tons of military contracts and money pouring overseas. Then. Nothing. We'd hold short, get politically bogged down, and paralyze our military operations. And we'd lose.

For years, that became the playbook-getting into conflicts without a clear path to victory. Big ideas. Lofty objectives. But no willingness to do what it actually takes to win. Our troops were asked to operate in the gray, constrained by politics, chasing goals that sounded good in think tanks but did not translate on the battlefield.

President Trump tried to take the handcuffs off during his first term. He did some bold things-demolishing ISIS in weeks and assassinating Soleimani on the tarmac of Baghdad International. But what we are seeing now is a fully formed doctrine: clarity of purpose, decisive action, and no apologies for defending American interests.

Enter President Trump's second term.

An incredibly decisive operation in Midnight Hammer, sending a clear message to Iran. Picking off Maduro in Venezuela-sending the clearest message to all of the adversaries of the United States that we are willing to use unprecedented capabilities and are truly done messing around.

And today, Ayatollah Khomeini is dead. He was an evil man, and American and Israeli airpower sent him into the next world, straight to Hell.

Gone are the days of failed regime change and capacity building. Gone are the days of kicking the can down the road and getting nothing done. Gone are the days of sacrificing our military authority and capabilities on the altar of political correctness.

The world is a dangerous place. When nations threaten the United States of America or its close allies, President Trump is very clear: we will seek terms of peace. But if peace is unobtainable, we are going straight for the jugular, because we are done getting nothing done. Because the world deserves peace, and to be free of leaders who oppress and oppose peace. And simply, more than anyone else in the world by a factor of ten, because we can.

This ain't your father's regime change. It's not the Global War on Terror. It's not even war. It's avoiding war through the limited, extremely violent and decisive use of force that achieves decisive overmatch and ends the ability for conflict altogether. It is reshaping the globe and the balance of power in favor of the United States of America again. We are rolling the tables.

Anyone who has been to war, hates war. But I like what we're doing, and why. Because decisive strength is what prevents long wars and protects American lives.

This isn't over. Pray for our Troops