U.S. Senator Susan Collins has issued a statement following her vote on the Iran War Powers Resolution. In her remarks, Collins highlighted the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its development of ballistic missiles.
“We cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. The Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile development, and support for terrorist proxies pose serious and longstanding threats to the national security of the United States and our allies. Iran has enormous stockpiles of missiles and one-way attack drones and the industrial capacity to continue to expand its arsenal. If the Iranian regime were allowed to continue developing ballistic missiles, it would soon be able to shield its nuclear facilities by threatening a grave and immediate response to any attack,” Collins said.
She also addressed Iran’s history as a state sponsor of terrorism: “Iran is also the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism. It has spent nearly half a century attacking Americans directly and through terrorist proxies, beginning with the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran that resulted in 66 Americans being held hostage for 444 days and continuing with the numerous devastating attacks against American service members and civilians in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and more. In the October 7, 2023, massacre, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people, including 46 Americans, in what was the deadliest single day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust. The list of the Iranian regime’s crimes against America and our allies goes on and on.”
Collins emphasized Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing military action: “The Constitution gives Congress an essential role in matters of war and peace. Sustained combat operations require full engagement with Congress. The Administration has adhered to the provisions of the War Powers Act that require notification to Congress within 48 hours of hostilities commencing, and it has provided numerous classified briefings to Congress.”
She concluded by expressing concern about passing the resolution at this time: “Passing this resolution now would send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops. At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the Administration with Congress.”
