Ranking Member Shaheen Statement on 60 Days of President Trump’s War with Iran

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement marking sixty days since President Trump initiated military conflict with Iran, which under the War Powers Act marks a clear legal threshold that absent congressional authorization, the President must end his use of U.S. forces for hostilities or certify to Congress that he needs up to 30 days to safely remove them:

"Sixty days since President Trump launched his war with Iran, the American people are worse off, and his stated objectives remain unmet. The Administration has failed to justify to the American people or Congress why we are engaged in this conflict. President Trump suggested this war would lead to the fall of the Iranian regime. Instead, the regime remains in power, but now with a more hardline leader and an empowered Revolutionary Guard Corps. The President claimed military force would eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, yet there has been no evidence that Iran's nuclear capabilities have been diminished, and this conflict may have only increased Tehran's incentive to pursue a weapon. He argued this war would make Americans safer, but Iran retains significant missile and drone capabilities and now has seized the opportunity to massively disrupt global commerce through its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

"Meanwhile, Americans are paying the price. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed and many more wounded, with tens of thousands of Americans in the Middle East still in harm's way. Gas and diesel prices have skyrocketed, burdening American families with an estimated $30 billion in increased costs. The Pentagon acknowledges that this war is costing taxpayers tens of billions at a moment when the Administration is slashing funding for health care and education. President Trump has driven up prices across the country, squeezing household budgets with increased energy bills, shipping costs and grocery prices.

"After sixty days of conflict, President Trump still does not have a strategy or way out for this poorly planned war. Americans want a lasting end to this conflict. They want lower prices at home. They want peace and prosperity. In short, they want what the President promised. It's time the Administration pursue a serious diplomatic path forward."

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