Senate Seeks Explanation From Trump on Iran

Senators uncomfortable being left in the dark during escalations

The Trump Administration is rapidly escalating tensions with Iran, and public statements all give the impression that America may be on the brink of starting a major war.  The Senate is hoping to get somebody from the administration in within the next week to hear what on earth is actually going on.

Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is a hawk, but added that he doesn’t think it’s fair for the administration to just leave the Senate wondering.

Some are just wanting a briefing, while Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) expressed concern about the possibility of a new war, noting that the administration has never gotten permission from Congress for a war.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he thinks officials out to testify openly in the Senate Armed Services Committee this week. The administration has provided no indication if that’s going to happen, but anything that gives the impression that Congress has a say in the war will probably be opposed by many of the administration’s hawks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.