President Donald Trump this weekend Airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilitiesThe attack had mixed reactions in the US Congress. While it received strong support from the Republican wing, it was immediately condemned by the Congressional Democrats.
Support from Republicans: “A Necessary and Correct Decision”
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)“Our commander in chief made a conscious and correct decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime,” Wicker said in a statement. He added that there are now “very serious choices” to make to ensure security for citizens and allies and stability for the Middle East.
In the military attack called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” B-2 bombers and operating in the region submarine-launched bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk missiles was used.
Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) He said Trump “made the right decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.” Rogers warned the Iranian leadership that “any attempt to retaliate against our forces or our homeland would be a serious mistake.”
Democrats Condemn: Fear of “Escalation and Avoidable War”
But Rogers’ Democratic counterpart on the committee, ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Trump before military action He did not seek authorization from Congress. or failed to show that “Iran poses an immediate threat to the United States.”
“Engaging in direct conflict would place U.S. service members and military facilities in the Middle East in the crosshairs of Iran and its many proxies,” Smith said in a statement. “[These] actions could further escalate tensions, destabilize the region, and push the United States into avoidable war.”
Ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed (D.R.I.)He called the decision “a big gamble by President Trump, and no one knows yet whether it will work.” Reed also expressed concern about possible reprisals against the approximately 40 U.S. military personnel stationed in the Middle East, saying, “We must be prepared for reprisals both in the short and long term, on the battlefield and asymmetrically.”
Reactions That Cross Party Lines
Reactions to the military attack did not fall along party lines. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)released a statement calling the bombings “a critical and decisive action to protect America, freedom, and democracy at home and around the world.”
On the other hand, among Trump’s outspoken supporters is Rep. Kent Republican Thomas Massie and Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reacted on social media by criticizing the decision to attack Iran. Massie wrote that the action was “unconstitutional.”
