Following the joint attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran Saturday, multiple members of Maine’s congressional delegation questioned President Donald Trump’s constitutional authority to strike Iran and called for Congress to reassert its role in military decisions.
Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Friday that Trump should only strike Iran as a “last resort” amid fraught negotiations over a potential nuclear deal.
After the strikes were carried out on Saturday, Collins said Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons “pose serious threats to America’s national security.”
“The Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, ballistic missile development, and support for terrorist proxies pose serious threats to America’s national security and that of our allies, as well as to stability in the Middle East,” Collins said in a statement.
In a statement, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King questioned whether Trump had the constitutional authority to order the strikes, saying the decision left him with several questions. King asked what the endgame plan is now that “the goal has moved from elimination of Iran’s nuclear capacity to regime change.”
“As we have learned, toppling a despotic regime is only a first step; the hard question is what comes next and what will it take to ensure that the next regime is not worse than that which went before,” he said.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene Congress immediately to vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution. “The American people are still living with the consequences of wars launched without accountability or an endgame. We cannot repeat those mistakes,” Pingree said in a statement.
“Congress must reassert its constitutional authority, halt unauthorized military action, and make clear that no president — of either party — has the power to drag this nation into war alone,” she said.
Outgoing U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District, called it regrettable that negotiations had stalled, noting that Trump needs to consult with Congress in the next few days.
“At this time, my chief concern is for the safety and well-being of the men and women serving the United States in the region,” he said. “I appreciate their service and pray for their safety.”
BDN reporter Leela Stockley contributed to this report.