Michigan lawmakers are weighing in after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.
Tensions escalated amid nuclear talks that President Donald Trump said had stalled.
Recommended Videos
Explosions were reported in Tehran on Feb. 28 amid reports of an increased U.S. military presence in the region.
Tehran responded by launching missiles at Israel and called the strikes unprovoked and illegal.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” Trump said in a statement.
You can read the statements from Michigan lawmakers below:
“President Trump has once again put Americans in harm’s way without consulting Congress—the latest in a series of grave violations of our Constitution by this Administration," Stevens, who is running for U.S. Senate, said. “I am praying for the safety of our troops and all the innocent people who have spent today taking refuge in bomb shelters across the region.
For decades, Iran’s state sponsorship of terror across the globe has led to chaos and unchecked violence,” she said. “We cannot ignore that an armed and nuclear Iran would bring even more violence and chaos to the Middle East and the entire world. We also cannot ignore the imperative to achieve freedom for the people of Iran, who have bravely spoken out through protest in recent weeks.
At Trump’s direction, Speaker Johnson has blocked multiple opportunities to reassert Congress’ war power authority,” she said. “Congress and the White House must work together with our allies to achieve peace in the Middle East, stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, end Iran’s support for terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, and keep Americans safe at home and abroad.
Michiganders have been clear they do not want more endless wars. Congress must be convened, we must be briefed, and we must follow the Constitution."
Haley Stevens (D)
“The President’s decision to use military force without authorization from Congress is unconstitutional. Congress has the sole power to declare war, and these decisions must be debated before the public.
We have all seen the brutality of the Iranian regime, including through its violent killing of protestors. However, conducting these strikes without Congressional authorization escalates the risk of war and puts service members in harm’s way.
Americans need answers immediately. We cannot allow our nation to be drawn into another costly foreign conflict that threatens the safety of civilians and American troops.
Congress must pass the Iranian War Powers Resolution to block the Trump Administration’s actions in Iran without congressional authorization."
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D)
“The American people do not want a war with Iran. Trump is acting on the violent fantasies of the American political elite and the Israeli apartheid government, ignoring the vast majority of Americans who say loud and clear: No More Wars. The Trump Administration and Israeli regime’s illegal war of aggression on Iran has already killed dozens of children, and more horrific death and destruction will come. These acts of war threaten to ignite a catastrophic regional war that will make no one safer while unleashing unconscionable suffering.
President Trump will pretend this is about democracy and the rights of the Iranian people. Don’t be fooled, Trump does not care about the Iranian people. The Iranian people are not pawns for the interests of foreign powers. Our government has imposed brutal sanctions that have destroyed the Iranian economy and the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. You cannot ‘free’ people by killing them and destroying their country.
Congress must stop the bloodshed by immediately reconvening to exert its war powers and stop this deranged president. But let’s be clear: warmongering politicians from both parties support this illegal war, and it will take a mass anti-war movement to stop it.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D)
“Donald Trump is a dangerous, dishonest, and reckless President who cannot be trusted to unilaterally take our country to war.
We don’t need another costly, protracted conflict in the Middle East with no strategy. We’ve seen how this plays out. It ends with American lives lost, civilians killed abroad, billions spent, and a world that is no safer than it was before.
Instead of focusing resources to ensure Americans have access to healthcare, housing, jobs, safety and security in their own communities, this President has chosen a war overseas at the expense of everyone back home.”
Rep. Mallory McMorrow (D)
“Americans woke up this morning to news that the U.S. and Israel have started major military action against Iran.
Unlike the U.S. strike on Iran back in June, this operation doesn’t appear to be a one-and-done, so we’re thinking about the safety of our servicemembers and their families. Likewise, many Michiganders have family in the Middle East who are at risk right now as Iran is striking a number of countries. We pray for their safety as well.
As a former CIA officer who served three tours in Iraq, I have no love lost for the Iranian government. They’re a state sponsor of terror, responsible for the deaths of Americans. I saw it up close in Iraq and elsewhere.
But issues of war and peace should be treated with the utmost consequence. And President Trump hasn’t made his case to the American people. He hasn’t laid out the goals or the imminent threat posed by Iran that justifies risking a wider regional war. And he hasn’t followed the Constitution and brought this issue before Congress before committing our nation to war.
Most elected leaders — including President Trump himself — have condemned the rush to war without clear goals in the past. He owes the American people the same thing he was demanding of previous presidents if he’s going to put lives at risk. And Congress should come back to Washington to debate these issues."
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D)
“The President just acknowledged he is risking American lives by dragging us into another “war” in the Middle East, without Congress’ approval. Our Constitution requires this check for a reason. The American people don’t want to send their sons and daughters to another unjustified forever war across the world.
Iran is a bad actor and we must ensure they never produce nuclear weapons. We had a diplomatic agreement with Iran on nuclear proliferation and President Trump withdrew during his first term without a plan for what comes next because he was playing petty politics. Now, he’s sending American servicemembers back to the Middle East to attempt to fix the problems he created.
The Administration must immediately brief Congress on these strikes and its next steps, end goal, and strategy to ensure this protects, not weakens, our homeland security."
Sen. Gary Peters (D)
“President Trump has taken decisive action against the world’s number one state sponsor of terror - a regime that has targeted American troops and called for ‘death to America.’ May God bless our Commander in Chief and military leaders with wisdom through this operation and may He keep our troops in His care.”
Rep. Lisa McClain (R)
“President Trump sought repeatedly to make a deal with the Iranian regime, which has continued to be a destabilizing force in the Middle East. The regime has murdered tens of thousands of innocent civilians in their own streets, supported terrorist groups that have killed thousands of Americans, harmed our servicemembers, and threatened our national security through their pursuit of attaining a nuclear weapon.
Today, the President announced a decisive and strategic operation to restore peace through strength. May God bless the brave men and women of our military who are conducting this critical operation."
Rep. Tim Walberg (R)
“For nearly five decades, the Iranian regime targeted Americans and our allies, oppressed its people, funded terrorist activity around the world, and sought to develop a nuclear weapon. After Operation Midnight Hammer, those ambitions were destroyed, but the regime attempted to rebuild its capabilities. President Trump gave the Ayatollah a clear warning: dismantle your missile program or face further destruction. The regime ignored those warnings with plans to develop an ICBM that could reach the United States. God bless the brave members of the United States Armed Forces and I pray for their safety.”
Rep. John Moolenaar (R)
“The Iranian regime’s decades of terror—costing American soldiers and innocents life and limb—must be answered for. Appeasement invites war; their threats to America must end. I hate war. No one hates war more than a vet. But America’s worth fighting for. Freedom’s worth fighting for. Pray for our troops, our President, and the Iranian people. God Bless America."
John James (R)