Democrats call for restraint, oversight as Trump reportedly calls back Iranian strike

Democrats in the House and Senate urged restraint from the Trump administration after reports late Thursday indicated that President Trump had approved a military strike on Iranian forces before calling it off at the last moment.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) issued a statement Thursday following the revelations of the called-off strike, saying that there “is no justification for further escalating” tensions with Iran.

{mosads}”Donald Trump promised to bring our troops home. Instead he has pulled out of a deal that was working and instigated another unnecessary conflict. There is no justification for further escalating this crisis—we need to step back from the brink of war,” added Warren, a 2020 presidential contender.

Donald Trump promised to bring our troops home. Instead he has pulled out of a deal that was working and instigated another unnecessary conflict. There is no justification for further escalating this crisis—we need to step back from the brink of war. https://t.co/roUHtzRlE8

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) June 20, 2019

Other Democrats joined Warren in sounding off on social media after the reported last-minute cancellation of the attack, saying the administration should go to Congress and plead a case for a formal declaration of war rather than use the Bush-era authorization for use of military force.

“Only Congress can authorize a war. We should vote next week,” wrote Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).

Only Congress can authorize a war. We should vote next week.

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 20, 2019

“Deeply concerned that @realDonaldTrump has no idea what he is doing, especially in foreign policy,” wrote Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Also very troubled we are reading about these high level US decisions about Iran in the media. The national security leaks from the Trump Administration are mind boggling.”

Deeply concerned that @realDonaldTrump has no idea what he is doing, especially in foreign policy.

Also very troubled we are reading about these high level US decisions about Iran in the media. The national security leaks from the Trump Administration are mind boggling. https://t.co/xQ5rwOlt2x

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 20, 2019

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier on Thursday said that “we must do everything we can not to escalate the situation, but also to make sure that our personnel in the region are safe.”

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) concurred, urging the U.S. to not go “bumbling” into another war in the Middle East after attending a briefing on the situation earlier Thursday, before the reportedly called-off strike.

“One of the best ways to avoid bumbling into war, a war that nobody wants, is to have a robust open debate and for Congress to have a real say,” Schumer told The Washington Post. “We learned that lesson in the run-up to Iraq.”