Washington (June 27, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after the Senate failed to advance Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) war powers resolution to halt the Trump administration’s use of United States Armed Forces for its unauthorized hostilities against Iran. Congress has the sole power to declare war, and Donald Trump violated the Constitution by not seeking Congressional authorization before he ordered military strikes on Iran.

“Today, I was proud to cast my vote for Senator Kaine’s war powers resolution. 

“President Trump acted against the Constitution by launching an attack on Iran on June 21 without seeking congressional approval. In doing so, he steamrolled over the right of every American to have a say in the use of U.S. military force.

“We must ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. But asserting Congress’s constitutional role in war is not some procedural detail; it is necessary. Our government is based on checks and balances, and Congress’s authority to declare war is a core principle of what makes America a democracy.”

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