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Some of President Donald Trump\u2019s Capitol Hill critics were quick to condemn his administration\u2019s military action against Iran early Saturday, criticizing what they described as an unjustified act of war that hadn\u2019t been approved by Congress.<\/p>\n
Shortly after reports of the attack against Tehran emerged in the predawn hours, frequent Trump-basher Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)\u00a0characterized the strikes<\/a>\u00a0on social media as \u201cacts of war unauthorized by Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) are expected to force votes next week on legislation that would curb Trump\u2019s ability to take unilateral military action against Iran without congressional approval. But the U.S.\u2019 Saturday morning strikes came before the bipartisan pair could compel a war powers vote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n One of the first Democrats to respond to the strikes, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.),\u00a0condemned the attack on social media<\/a>, writing that \u201cwe can support the democracy movement and the Iranian people without sending our troops to die.\u201d Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) added Saturday that Trump\u2019s overnight military strikes against \u201ca broad set of targets, including senior Iranian leadership \u2014 marking a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe American people have seen this playbook before \u2014 claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Trump\u2019s military action \u201ca war of choice with no strategic endgame\u201d and said that he will vote for the war powers resolution when it gets a vote next week.<\/p>\n In a Saturday morning video\u00a0announcing the strike<\/a>, Trump warned \u201cthe lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we\u2019re doing this for the future.\u201d It\u2019s unclear if there were casualties.<\/p>\n Prior to the attacks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed seven of the eight members of the Gang of Eight, which includes the top leaders of both chambers and the heads of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt\u00a0said Saturday<\/u><\/a>. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was the one Gang of Eight member who Rubio wasn\u2019t able to connect with before the strikes, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose the details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Despite calls from key House Democrats for Speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene the House Monday to debate a war powers resolution on Iran, the House isn\u2019t expected to hold votes until the scheduled day of Wednesday. Several Senate Democrats are also calling for the Senate to return before Monday and immediately vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution \u2013 something Senate GOP leadership is not expected to do.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,\u201d Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who is helping helm the war powers effort, said in a statement Saturday.<\/p>\n Congressional Republicans, including members of leadership and top committee chairs, quickly backed the joint U.S.-Israel operation. House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford said Trump had \u201cgiven Iran plenty of opportunities to take the diplomatic route.\u201d Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican, called the action \u201cpeace through strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Other lawmakers, including longtime Iran hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) rejoiced at the joint U.S.-Israel operation, calling it \u201cnecessary and long justified.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us,\u201d Graham\u00a0wrote on social media<\/a>. \u201cFreedom for the long suffering Iranian people.\u201d The South Carolina senator has repeatedly encouraged military action against Iran, urging Trump to follow through on his January promise to respond with force after the Iranian regime killed thousands of its own citizens during a mass wave of protests.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n