Read the full article on KETV 7
After an overnight joint operation by the armed forces of the United States and Israel on Iran, U.S. lawmakers woke up to an unsteady situation unfolding in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.In a video announcing the “major combat operations,” President Donald Trump told Iranians that “when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”Related video above: What we know about the US military operation in IranTrump confirmed the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has been killed as a result of the operation that pummeled the Middle Eastern country. State-run Iranian news outlets confirmed the death Saturday night. The strikes during the holy fasting month of Ramadan opened a stunning new chapter in U.S. intervention in Iran and marked the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the Islamic Republic during talks over its nuclear program. Weeks earlier, a U.S. military operation captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. About 12 hours after the attacks began, the U.S. military reported no U.S. casualties and minimal damage at U.S. bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.” It said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.Congress was notified before the strikes on Iran, as required by law. The notified members were specifically members of the Gang of Eight, a group of eight congressional leaders who are legally required to be briefed on classified intelligence matters by the executive branch.The notifications mentioned ballistic missiles, but didn’t indicate that the strikes would be so expansive or the goals so broad, according to a person familiar with the notifications who requested anonymity to discuss them.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out personally to some top lawmakers.Reactions from lawmakers are collected below.Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York)”The administration must brief Congress, including an immediate all senators classified briefing and in public testimony, to answer these vital questions,” Sen. Schumer said. “The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act.” In addition to being the Senate minority leader, Sen. Schumer is also a member of the Gang of Eight.House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York)In addition to being the House Minority Leader, Rep. Jeffries is also a member of the Gang of Eight.”Donald Trump failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran,” Rep. Jeffries said. “Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions. We pray for the safety of the men and women of the U.S. military as they have been put into harm’s way in a dangerous theater of war.” Full statement here. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana)Speaker Johnson is also a member of the Gang of Eight.Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego (D)”Donald Trump just took our country to war and told the American people to expect casualties,” Sen. Gallego said. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes (D)Rep. Himes is also a member of the Gang of Eight. Statement below: “Everything I have heard from the Administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame. As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.”The President’s own statement acknowledges this is war, and the Constitution requires the Administration to come to Congress for authorization, something it has not done. Next week, the House will vote on a war powers resolution, and I will support that resolution. In the meantime, I will be praying for the safety of our servicemembers and all civilians who are in harm’s way.” Indiana Sen. Todd Young (R)”Americans should pray for the safety of our brave troops, and for wisdom from their leaders,” said Young in a statement after the attack. “Iran has refused to dismantle its nuclear program despite repeated American efforts at diplomacy over decades. The Iranian regime has funded terror around the globe—including against thousands of Americans—and murdered its own citizens who peacefully called for freedom.””No one wants more conflict in the Middle East, but Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” Young continued. “I look forward to Congress being fully briefed on the operation and included in discussion about any next steps. The American people will have questions pertaining to the nature of threats, risks to our troops and homeland, and objectives sought. Their questions must be answered.”Indiana Sen. Jim Banks (R)”A Trump red line isn’t a warning — it’s a promise,” wrote Banks in a brief statement on X shortly after the strikes. Banks also responded to a statement from the White House on the strikes with an American flag emoji on X, as well as a report from NBC News indicating that there have been no reported American casualties to the strikes with a praying hands emoji.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst Iowa Sen. Chuck GrassleyKentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R)”I am opposed to this War,” said Massie on X after the attack. “This is not ‘America First.’ When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R)”The Islamic Republic of Iran made ‘death to America; death to Israel’ a central pillar of its brutal rule,” said McConnell in a statement after the attack. “For decades, it wielded violence and repression at home and exported violence and terrorism abroad. Today, my prayers are with the brave U.S. and Israeli servicemembers carrying out Operation Epic Fury, and with the people of Iran who have long struggled for the right to determine their own future. A regime that relishes killing Arabs, Israelis, Americans, and its own people deserves no sympathy. “Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R)After news of the strikes was announced, Paul wrote on X in a brief statement, “As yet another preemptive war is begun in the Middle East, John Quincy Adam’s words of wisdom still ring true: ‘Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.'””Like most Americans I have sympathy for the plight of the Iranian people and all subjected people around the globe, from North Korea to Tibet,” continued Paul. “But as Adam’s wrote, America: ‘goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.'”Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen”I am deeply concerned about the President’s lack of clear strategy for yet another open-ended war and particularly for the safety of our troops, American citizens and U.S. interests in the Middle East region,” the senator said. Full statement here. New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan:“While the situation is evolving quickly, based on the limited information that the Administration has provided, I have deep concerns about President Trump’s decision to go to war,” the senator said. Full statement here. North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd”Today, @POTUS announced a major combat operation in Iran with the goal of further crippling Iran’s nuclear program and to protect the U.S. and our allies.”For decades, Iran and its terror proxies have repeatedly targeted American service-members and stoked violence and unrest in the region. President Trump knows well that the American people do not favor prolonged conflict, but there is also little doubt that Iran’s reckless ambition to obtain nuclear weapons and long range missiles represents a grave threat to our safety and security. A nuclear Iran has always been an unacceptable outcome.”Please join me in prayer for all our men and women in uniform and our allies and partners around the globe. May God bless and keep them safe now and always.”North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno (R)”God bless and protect our troops,” said Moreno in a statement Saturday morning after the White House disclosed the attack. “President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision to eliminate the threat once and for all once it became clear there was no other option.””President Trump will always put America’s interests first and defend American citizens,” Moreno continued. “I have complete trust in him to finally bring peace to the Middle East.”Ohio Sen. Jon Husted (R)”For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community,” said Husted in a statement shortly after the strikes. “Instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies. It did all of this while brutally oppressing its own people, who yearned for the freedom and prosperity that they deserve but the regime has refused to deliver.””Today, the President took action to address the threat Iran poses to America and global stability. I look forward to being briefed and learning more from the administration in the coming days.””I pray for our military servicemembers, all Israeli military personnel, and our allies in harm’s way,” Husted concluded. “May God bless them and keep them safe.”Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D)One of the first lawmakers to weigh in overnight was the Pennsylvania senator. In a statement posted on the social media site X, Fetterman wrote, “Operation Epic Fury. President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) “President Trump pledged to the American people that he would not get involved in another foreign war, and this is yet another broken promise from this President. The President needs to listen to the people he represents: Americans want fewer foreign wars and more focus on them and their everyday struggles.” Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R)In a post on X, Sen. Johnson said, “May God bless and protect our troops as they attempt to liberate the long suffering people of Iran.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
After an overnight joint operation by the armed forces of the United States and Israel on Iran, U.S. lawmakers woke up to an unsteady situation unfolding in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.
In a video announcing the “major combat operations,” President Donald Trump told Iranians that “when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
Advertisement
Related video above: What we know about the US military operation in Iran
Trump confirmed the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has been killed as a result of the operation that pummeled the Middle Eastern country. State-run Iranian news outlets confirmed the death Saturday night.
The strikes during the holy fasting month of Ramadan opened a stunning new chapter in U.S. intervention in Iran and marked the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked the Islamic Republic during talks over its nuclear program. Weeks earlier, a U.S. military operation captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
About 12 hours after the attacks began, the U.S. military reported no U.S. casualties and minimal damage at U.S. bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.” It said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.
Congress was notified before the strikes on Iran, as required by law. The notified members were specifically members of the Gang of Eight, a group of eight congressional leaders who are legally required to be briefed on classified intelligence matters by the executive branch.
The notifications mentioned ballistic missiles, but didn’t indicate that the strikes would be so expansive or the goals so broad, according to a person familiar with the notifications who requested anonymity to discuss them.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out personally to some top lawmakers.
Reactions from lawmakers are collected below.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York)
“The administration must brief Congress, including an immediate all senators classified briefing and in public testimony, to answer these vital questions,” Sen. Schumer said. “The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act.”
In addition to being the Senate minority leader, Sen. Schumer is also a member of the Gang of Eight.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York)
In addition to being the House Minority Leader, Rep. Jeffries is also a member of the Gang of Eight.
“Donald Trump failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran,” Rep. Jeffries said. “Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions. We pray for the safety of the men and women of the U.S. military as they have been put into harm’s way in a dangerous theater of war.” Full statement here.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana)
Speaker Johnson is also a member of the Gang of Eight.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego (D)
“Donald Trump just took our country to war and told the American people to expect casualties,” Sen. Gallego said.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes (D)
Rep. Himes is also a member of the Gang of Eight. Statement below:
“Everything I have heard from the Administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame. As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.
“The President’s own statement acknowledges this is war, and the Constitution requires the Administration to come to Congress for authorization, something it has not done. Next week, the House will vote on a war powers resolution, and I will support that resolution. In the meantime, I will be praying for the safety of our servicemembers and all civilians who are in harm’s way.”
Indiana Sen. Todd Young (R)
“Americans should pray for the safety of our brave troops, and for wisdom from their leaders,” said Young in a statement after the attack. “Iran has refused to dismantle its nuclear program despite repeated American efforts at diplomacy over decades. The Iranian regime has funded terror around the globe—including against thousands of Americans—and murdered its own citizens who peacefully called for freedom.”
“No one wants more conflict in the Middle East, but Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” Young continued. “I look forward to Congress being fully briefed on the operation and included in discussion about any next steps. The American people will have questions pertaining to the nature of threats, risks to our troops and homeland, and objectives sought. Their questions must be answered.”
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks (R)
“A Trump red line isn’t a warning — it’s a promise,” wrote Banks in a brief statement on X shortly after the strikes. Banks also responded to a statement from the White House on the strikes with an American flag emoji on X, as well as a report from NBC News indicating that there have been no reported American casualties to the strikes with a praying hands emoji.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R)
“I am opposed to this War,” said Massie on X after the attack. “This is not ‘America First.’ When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R)
“The Islamic Republic of Iran made ‘death to America; death to Israel’ a central pillar of its brutal rule,” said McConnell in a statement after the attack. “For decades, it wielded violence and repression at home and exported violence and terrorism abroad. Today, my prayers are with the brave U.S. and Israeli servicemembers carrying out Operation Epic Fury, and with the people of Iran who have long struggled for the right to determine their own future. A regime that relishes killing Arabs, Israelis, Americans, and its own people deserves no sympathy. “
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R)
After news of the strikes was announced, Paul wrote on X in a brief statement, “As yet another preemptive war is begun in the Middle East, John Quincy Adam’s words of wisdom still ring true: ‘Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.'”
“Like most Americans I have sympathy for the plight of the Iranian people and all subjected people around the globe, from North Korea to Tibet,” continued Paul. “But as Adam’s wrote, America: ‘goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.'”
Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
“I am deeply concerned about the President’s lack of clear strategy for yet another open-ended war and particularly for the safety of our troops, American citizens and U.S. interests in the Middle East region,” the senator said. Full statement here.
New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan:
“While the situation is evolving quickly, based on the limited information that the Administration has provided, I have deep concerns about President Trump’s decision to go to war,” the senator said. Full statement here.
North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd
“Today, @POTUS announced a major combat operation in Iran with the goal of further crippling Iran’s nuclear program and to protect the U.S. and our allies.
“For decades, Iran and its terror proxies have repeatedly targeted American service-members and stoked violence and unrest in the region. President Trump knows well that the American people do not favor prolonged conflict, but there is also little doubt that Iran’s reckless ambition to obtain nuclear weapons and long range missiles represents a grave threat to our safety and security. A nuclear Iran has always been an unacceptable outcome.
“Please join me in prayer for all our men and women in uniform and our allies and partners around the globe. May God bless and keep them safe now and always.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R)
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno (R)
“God bless and protect our troops,” said Moreno in a statement Saturday morning after the White House disclosed the attack. “President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision to eliminate the threat once and for all once it became clear there was no other option.”
“President Trump will always put America’s interests first and defend American citizens,” Moreno continued. “I have complete trust in him to finally bring peace to the Middle East.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted (R)
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community,” said Husted in a statement shortly after the strikes. “Instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies. It did all of this while brutally oppressing its own people, who yearned for the freedom and prosperity that they deserve but the regime has refused to deliver.”
“Today, the President took action to address the threat Iran poses to America and global stability. I look forward to being briefed and learning more from the administration in the coming days.”
“I pray for our military servicemembers, all Israeli military personnel, and our allies in harm’s way,” Husted concluded. “May God bless them and keep them safe.”
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D)
One of the first lawmakers to weigh in overnight was the Pennsylvania senator. In a statement posted on the social media site X, Fetterman wrote, “Operation Epic Fury. President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D)
“President Trump pledged to the American people that he would not get involved in another foreign war, and this is yet another broken promise from this President. The President needs to listen to the people he represents: Americans want fewer foreign wars and more focus on them and their everyday struggles.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R)
In a post on X, Sen. Johnson said, “May God bless and protect our troops as they attempt to liberate the long suffering people of Iran.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
