ICYMI: Rep. Bera Questions DNI Tulsi Gabbard on Iran War

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), a senior Democrat serving on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, questioned Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard during the 2026 Worldwide Threats Hearing on her past condemnation of unauthorized strikes on Iran and whether she provided President Trump with an honest intelligence assessment showing there was no imminent threat to justify war.

The consequences of this war are not abstract for the Sacramento region. Since President Trump launched military strikes against Iran without congressional authorization on February 28, 2026, at least thirteen American servicemembers have been killed, including Chief Warrant Officer Robert M. Marzan of Sacramento, and approximately 200 servicemembers have been wounded.

You can watch the full exchange here and read the transcript below:

REP. AMI BERA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director Gabbard, we've known each other for a long time. We were both elected to Congress in 2012 and served together for a while. I may not have always agreed with your positions, but I respected the consistency of some of your positions.

Director Gabbard, following the January 3, 2020, drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, you gave a speech on the House floor six days later, on January 9, 2020. In the speech that is currently in the Congressional Record and available for anyone to view, you stated, quote: "President Trump has committed an illegal and unconstitutional act of war, pushing our nation headlong into a war with Iran without any authorization from Congress. A war that would be so costly and devastating it would make our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic."

On February 28, 2026, the Trump administration, under which you are the president's principal intelligence advisor, launched an illegal and unconstitutional act of war, pushing our nation headlong into a war with Iran without any authorization from Congress. This war has already been costly and devastating. Thirteen American servicemembers have lost their lives, including Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan from my home of Sacramento, California and approximately 200 servicemembers have been wounded.

The Pentagon reported that the first six days of Operation Epic Fury cost $11.3 billion. That averages almost $2 billion per day. That was the first six days and now we're in the nineteenth day of this war that's ballooned into a regional conflict, putting the lives of Americans and our allies throughout the Middle East in danger.

Director Gabbard, do you still believe that strikes against Iran that don't have congressional authorization constitute an illegal and unconstitutional act of war?

DNI TULSI GABBARD: Congressman, thank you for the question. The cost of war weighs very heavily upon me and my colleagues here, especially for those of us who have experienced and seen the cost of war firsthand.

My own personal and political views, as I mentioned earlier, I was asked and required by Congress and by the president, in this role as the Director of National Intelligence, to check those views at the door to ensure that the intelligence assessments are not colored by my personal views. And that's exactly what I am responsible to deliver.

REP. BERA: Director Gabbard do you still believe that a war with Iran would be so costly and devastating that it would make our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic?

DNI GABBARD: Once again, in this role, it is essential that I do not allow any of my personal views on any issues to color or bias the intelligence reporting that we deliver to you and to the president.

REP. BERA: Director Gabbard, in this hearing one year ago, I asked some questions and I'll paraphrase my exact question. It's like "we should keep politics out of this, even if the president disagrees with a directive, if it goes against his personal wishes, if he's considering an order that potentially is unconstitutional or illegal or compromises our security, I want your word that you will always provide and give the honest advice to the president, even if it will make him angry.

I asked you that question. I'm going to read your answer: "And to your specific question, the answer is yes. I will inform the president of that accurate, timely, unbiased intelligence reporting, whether it is something that agrees with an assumption or a view or an objective or not. That's my responsibility to him and to the American people."

Director Gabbard, there is no imminent threat of nuclear breakout. Did you deliver that assessment to the president?

DNI GABBARD: I have delivered the Intelligence Community's assessments to the president.

REP. BERA: There was no imminent nuclear threat to the United States. There was no evidence of imminence that Iran was going to attack American assets. That was different from anything they've done over four decades, that was going to attack our homeland. There was no imminent threat. "Imminent" is defined in the dictionary as something that is about to happen, not something that's been happening for four decades, not something that is going to happen three months from now, not something that's going to happen a year from now. "Imminent" says this is about to happen.

Did you deliver that assessment to the president?

DNI GABBARD: I delivered the Intelligence Community's objective analysis of the threats, the severity of those threats, and the scope, along with assessments of the different scenarios and context that exists within the Middle East.

REP. BERA: The president owes it to the American people to go on television, to explain to the American people-to the servicemembers who have died in action serving our country-why we are at war with Iran. He needs to go on television and explain that directly to the American people what the imminent threat was.

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