Connecticut’s two United States senators and Hartford’s Congressman joined at the state Capitol on Friday to voice strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s decision to start a war against Iran.
The Democrats said the war was flatly illegal as Trump did not seek the approval of Congress.
“This is not about whether we are heading towards an autocracy – we are in one,” said Rep. John Larson. “The Constitution specifically calls for Congress to make the decision about war.”
“We are almost a week into the most significant military action the United States has taken in the Middle East since the Iraq War,” said Sen. Chris Murphy. “It is an illegal war.”
“This president is starting a war on whim, vanity and vengeance,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “That is absolutely reprehensible to put American troops – our national guard over there right now, Connecticut's best – in harm's way. Absolutely irresponsible and reprehensible.”
NPR reports the president and his administration have given a wide range of justifications for the strikes on Iran, including the destruction of a purported nuclear weapons program the administration last year declared “obliterated” in previous strikes. The war has so far killed at least six American soldiers and more than 1,300 Iranians.
Possible ground invasion
The trio said they feared the possibility of a future ground invasion of Iran.
“My greatest fear is we will have boots on the ground,” Blumenthal said. “We will have sons and daughters in harm's way. We will have Americans in another endless war, dying and bleeding for no good reason.”
Murphy warned the cost would be high, with no guaranteed payoff.
“A U.S. ground invasion of Iran… would result in thousands of Americans dying and trillions of our dollars being wasted,” Murphy said. “That, to many of us, is why this war seems so dangerous. Not only is it illegal, but it is likely destined to fail.”
Murphy said he was considering procedural tactics to force a vote on the war, a vote he believes would fail.
“We shouldn't be proceeding to other legislation in the Senate until we have a debate on a war powers resolution,” Murphy said. “I've been talking with my colleagues in the Senate… about other ways that we can use the leverage that we have in the Senate to force that vote, and I will continue to do it.”
The men were asked what message they have for the Iranian-American community.
“My message to the Iranian-American community is we stand with you. I'm shedding no tears for Ayatollah Khamenei or any of the other murderers who were killed in that strike,” Blumenthal said. “[But] the president is raising expectations and hopes that can't be fulfilled.”
He emphasized that a plan needs to be put forth for the future of Iran.
“My Iranian-American friends, I think, have begun to understand that the administration right now is flailing without a plan,” Blumenthal said. “I would just say to them, we're going to stand with you. We need to replace this regime. We need to free the Iranian people, who are our friends. And the president needs to come to Congress to tell you, as United States citizens with Iranian-American heritage, what he plans to do and how to justify this war.”
“I've heard from a lot of my Iranian-American constituents, from my friends throughout the country, and not a single one of them is shedding tears over the murder of the supreme leader,” Murphy said. “They are all very worried that Trump has absolutely no plan here, and that in the end, it is just going to be harder-line leadership that ends up running [Iran].”
