WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after the Senate voted in favor of a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) to require the President to consult Congress before going to war with Iran:

“Today, I voted to support Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution (SJ Res 68), which requires the President to seek congressional authorization before going to war with Iran. There is no question that Iran continues to pose a threat to the United States and to global security through its backing of terrorist and armed groups, its support for brutal dictators such as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its repeated attempts to target of the United States and our closest allies in domains including cyber, sea and air. 

“These dangers are real, but I have had serious concerns about whether the administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and its adoption of a so-called ‘maximum pressure’ strategy have made the American people safer – or whether it has instead brought us dangerously close to the brink of war.

“This resolution does not constrain the U.S. government from acting in self-defense against Iranian provocation. It does, however, ensure that Congress has a say before the President goes to war – a constitutional responsibility dictated by our founders in Article I. Presidential administrations from both parties have traditionally consulted with Congress before taking the country to war for good reason. Not only is congressional consultation required by the Constitution, but it also creates a process for the airing of outside perspectives that might not otherwise be considered – ensuring that difficult questions are thought through, and blind spots exposed. Frankly, this process is essential when the stakes are so high, when we are talking about escalating a conflict with serious, long-term consequences and potentially putting American men and women in harm’s way.”

The measure passed through the Senate by a vote of 55-45.

###