30 Organizations Sign Joint Letter to NDAA Conferees on 'No Unauthorized War with Iran' Amendment

The Honorable James Inhofe

Chairman,

Senate Committee on Armed Services

Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Adam Smith

Chairman,

House Armed Service Committee

Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Jack Reed

Ranking Member,

Senate Committee on Armed Services

Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Mac Thornberry

Ranking Member,

House Armed Service Committee

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Thornberry:

As pro-diplomacy organizations that oppose unauthorized war with Iran, we call on the National Defense Authorization Act conferees to retain language supported by a bipartisan majority in both chambers that would prohibit funds for military action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress.

The Trump Administration has repeatedly signaled its intent to subvert Congress' constitutional prerogative to decide when the United States will and will not go to war. The Administration violated and abandoned the agreement restraining Iran's nuclear activities and engaged in a series of escalations with Iran. While Iran has ratcheted up the tension with destabilizing actions of its own, the Trump Administration's provocations and saber rattling have made conflict, not diplomacy, more likely. Having reportedly come within minutes of launching a military strike on Iran a few months ago, the president has again threatened the imminent use of force in response to attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

The question of whether American forces should be put in harm's way is one of the utmost gravity. The Constitution gives the power of the purse and the power to declare war to Congress, and Congress alone. Congress needs to assert its constitutional powers to prevent decisions about the use of force being made by an administration that has acted with gross recklessness and profoundly weakened key alliances and multilateral partnerships essential to addressing threats from Iran. Escalation by the United States risks both further alienation and getting mired in another disastrous war in the region.

Bipartisan majorities in both chambers support blocking funds for unauthorized military strikes against Iran. Although the Senate bill did not include such a provision, 51 Senators indicated their support for the Kaine-Udall amendment that would have added it to the Senate-passed version of the legislation. In the House, 251 Representatives voted for the Khanna-Gaetz amendment prohibiting funds from being used for military action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress.

Given the bipartisan majority in both chambers supportive of ruling out an unauthorized war with Iran, the conferees must ensure the Khanna-Gaetz amendment is fully included in the final bill.

Failing to honor the will of the American people’s elected representatives on this point, at the very moment the administration is barreling toward an unauthorized and costly war of choice, would be an undemocratic and historic abdication of constitutional responsibility.

Signed,

American College of National Security Leaders

Americans for Peace Now

Arab American Institute

Arms Control Association

Center for American Progress

Center for International Policy

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Common Defense

Council for a Livable World

CREDO Action

Demand Progress

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Foreign Policy for America

Global Security Institute

Indivisible

J Street

Just Foreign Policy

MoveOn

NIAC Action

Open Society Policy Center

Peace Action

Peace Corps Iran Association

Ploughshares Fund

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Truman National Security Project

T’ruah

VoteVets

Union of Concerned Scientists

Win Without War

Women’s Action for New Directions