U.S. Representative Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat, on Monday called military strikes against Iran “unauthorized” and “untimely.”
Neal criticized President Donald Trump for ordering the action without approval from Congress. He said despite this fact, the House and the Senate still should debate a war powers resolution, which seeks to limit the President’s ability to conduct further actions in Iran. That's something that could take place as soon as this week.
Even if such a measure passes both in the House and Senate, it likely would meet a veto from the President. The necessary two-thirds majorities in both chambers would be difficulty to come by with Republicans in control. Still, Neal said there would be substance to having a debate on the issue.
"We owe it to the military members that are involved and we owe it to the members of Congress who ultimately will make the determination as to funding for this invasion," he said. "This will give us a chance to actually debate and fully discuss what the long-term implications are of the President's decision."
Neal also harkened back to the U.S invasion of Iraq and its aftermath as an important lesson going forward in Iran.
"It's one thing to change the regime, it's another thing to replace it," Neal said. "What was evident in Iraq is that there was no Plan B. And I think that's why the nation hovered for years on the verge of constant chaos. I think if we're not careful in Iran, that will be the same outcome,".
The Democrat added there likely will be economic implications back home, due to what is expected to be rising oil and natural gas prices as a result of the conflict. He said he is also concerned the situation could spiral into a larger regional war, with Iran already conducting its own strikes against U.S. allies in the Middle East.
For the entire conversation with Neal, click on the link above.
