Reaction From Area’s Elected Officials After Attacks On Iran

Elected officials for the region issued new statements as the conflict in the Middle East continued through the weekend.

U.S. and Israeli forces launched a joint assault on Iran on Saturday, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials.

The operation targeted leadership that Western officials have long accused of destabilizing the Middle East, and U.S. officials called for new leadership.

President Donald Trump, in a pre-taped statement released Sunday, said “Operation Epic Fury” would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved,” adding he expected the war to be done in “four weeks or less.”

Iranian drones and missiles struck other Middle East nations and U.S. military bases.

The human toll of the war mounted, with three U.S. service members being killed, the Iranian Red Crescent reporting 555 people have been killed, the Lebanese government stated at least 31 people died following Israeli responses to missiles fired by the Iran-supported group Hezbollah, and Israel stating 11 people died in Iranian attacks.

“As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” Trump said. “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen, and sadly, there will likely be more.”

In a statement, U.S. Central Command confirmed that Kuwaiti air defenses shot down three American F-15 fighter jets. All crew members survived the shoot downs.

Trump spoke on the targeting of Khamenei, asserting the leader “had the blood of hundreds, and even thousands, of Americans on his hands.”

A group of Democratic members of Congress, joined by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, have called for a formal vote on whether to authorize the use of military force.

While the administration continues the “righteous mission,” according to the president, legislative leaders are seeking more clarity on the scope of the engagement, according to NPR News.

Administration officials are scheduled to brief Congress on the war Tuesday, CBS News reported.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, issued the below statement:

“In our democracy, the American people – through our elected representatives – decide when our nation goes to war. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution, having just fought a war to win our nation’s independence, recognized the grave consequences of going to war and vested that power in our representatives in Congress. Yet, today President Trump acted unilaterally – without Congressional approval and outside of the guardrails set up by our founders in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago.

“In going to war with Iran, the President has not adequately explained why this war is urgent now, what this military campaign may look like, or what the strategic objective is. Until a few days ago, he was seeking a deal to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program that the President himself claimed just a few months ago was completely destroyed. But today he declared that this is a war for regime change, something he said he would not pursue.

“Make no mistake, the Iranian regime represses its own people and is the leading state sponsor of terrorism around the world – they must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. The regime and its proxies have killed American servicemembers and innocent civilians, wreaked havoc across the globe, and pose a direct threat to global peace and stability.

“In recent weeks, tens of thousands of brave Iranians have died standing up for their freedoms against this cruel regime. The people of Iran deserve a government that gives voice to these hopes, respects their rights, and pursues their interests peacefully – not through violence or intimidation.

“President Trump and his Administration have not demonstrated to the American people that we have a clear plan with this mission – and by taking unilateral action, without a broad coalition of international partners, he is putting our brave servicemembers at greater risk and undermining our national security interests.

“Lori and I are praying for the women and men of the United States armed forces who are deployed in the region and around the world. They are the best of us. We have complete faith in their skills and professionalism and they make up the most powerful military on Earth. May God protect our troops.”

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, stated:

“The safety and security of New Jerseyans is my number one responsibility. As a former Naval officer and member of the House Armed Services Committee in Congress, I know how seriously we must take any decision to use military force.

“My office is closely monitoring the situation in Iran, Israel, and elsewhere in the Middle East. At this time, there is no known threat to New Jersey.

“I am working closely with Attorney General Davenport, Acting Superintendent Hengemuhle, Director Hauck of our State’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and law enforcement leaders throughout our state. As a precautionary measure, law enforcement will increase patrols at houses of worship and other sensitive sites.

“If you have any safety concerns, please contact local law enforcement.”

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, posted:

“Operation Epic Fury.

“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.

“God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, shared online:

“For decades, the Iranian regime has killed Americans, threatened Israel and our allies in the region with their ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions, and butchered tens of thousands of its own people. They are the world’s number one sponsor of terror.

“The president has given the ayatollahs a chance for a deal, and they have rejected a path to peace and prosperity.

“I am praying for our brave troops and our steadfast allies who stand with us during this challenging and noble mission.”

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, posted:

“America must be strong and smart. Today’s actions were launched by a president who has rarely proven to be either.

“Let me be clear: The Iranian regime is one of the most dangerous, destabilizing forces in the Middle East. It has American blood on its hands. It has armed and supported terrorist proxies who have killed tens of thousands. It has brutalized its own people, killing thousands in recent weeks, simply for demanding basic human rights and a future free from oppression. Iran remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, and a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an intolerable threat to the United States, to our allies, and to global security. That outcome must never be allowed.

“But none of these facts suspend our Constitution or confer upon any president the authority to unilaterally wage war. The Constitution is unambiguous: Congress alone has the power to declare war and to authorize the use of military force.

“Today, Americans are feeling less safe because President Trump launched “massive and ongoing” military strikes on Iran without Congressional authorization, without meaningful consultation with lawmakers, and without presenting a credible legal justification or coherent strategy. He has taken our nation into a major military confrontation with the stated intent of regime change and in doing so has put our troops, our diplomats, and our regional partners at grave risk, while dragging the United States toward another costly and protracted conflict in the Middle East.

“The president has presented no strategy for what happens if the Iranian regime collapses.

“No plan for managing the inevitable power struggle among armed factions.

“No plan for securing nuclear material.

“No plan for preventing a humanitarian catastrophe.

“No plan for protecting tens of thousands of U.S. troops and civilians across a region now on high alert.

“No plan for coordinating with suddenly imperiled neighboring nations.

“No plan for what comes after the bombs.

“And no transparency with Congress or the American people about the human and financial costs of his military actions.

“In fact, in the weeks before these attacks, even Secretary of State Rubio cautioned that no one can predict what would follow the fall of Iran’s leadership and that the risks to U.S. forces and regional stability would be enormous. These warnings were not heeded.

“Military action alone cannot solve Iran’s nuclear challenge. We saw this last year when President Trump claimed he had ‘completely obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program with a set of strikes – claims that were swiftly proven false. The American people deserve honesty, not bluster; clarity and sober judgment, not reckless adventurism in matters of national security.

“The Trump administration must immediately brief Congress on the intelligence, objectives, legal basis, and long-term strategy underlying today’s action. Congress must reassert its constitutional role – not simply roll over – because war and peace cannot be left to the impulses of any one president, especially not this one.

“We should have learned from the last two decades of conflict in the Middle East that wars launched without clear goals and without an end-state in mind rarely end well. They cost lives, destabilize regions, embolden adversaries, and weaken America’s moral standing.

“I am grateful for the professionalism and bravery of our service members who now find themselves in harm’s way, and I pray for their safety. They are the finest fighting force in human history, willing to shoulder dangers most Americans will never see. They deserve leadership guided by strategy, grounded in law, and worthy of their sacrifice – not reckless decision making that places them in the path of escalating danger.”

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, posted:

“Americans don’t want to go to war with Iran.

“By launching strikes, President Trump has made the same dangerous and foolish decision President Bush did a generation ago. He put Americans in harm’s way without clearly showing there’s an imminent threat to our national security. He put the Iranian people in harm’s way by calling on them to rise up without a broad coalition of partners to assist in their protection. And Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control. This is unacceptable.

“The Senate should vote on Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution immediately. I stand ready to do so today.”

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, posted on X:

“The world is safer tonight.

“The man who led chants of “Death to America,” whose hands are stained with the blood of countless Americans, who armed terrorists, threatened Israel and our allies, who not only crushed his own people’s cries for freedom, but oversaw the massacres of tens of thousands of Iranians, no longer holds power.

“His rule was defined by aggression abroad and brutality at home.

“That legacy ends here.

“The cause of freedom does not.

“We stand with the Iranian people and Iranian-Americans in their pursuit of liberty and human rights, we pray for our brave service members, and we let the world know: America will always remain steadfast in the defense of freedom.”

Congressman Tom Kean, a Republican, said in a statement:

“After months of failed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, President Trump made the necessary decision to take action. The Iranian regime has long been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and is a direct threat to the United States, Israel, our allies, and interests across the region. Allowing the Ayatollah to advance toward nuclear capability was unacceptable. We stand firmly behind the men and women of our armed forces as they carry out this vital mission, and pray for their safety.”

Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat who is running for Congress, issued a statement:

“The American people do not want our country engaged in another long, expensive war. People are struggling with rising costs,  health care bills, and underfunded schools. They want their tax dollars invested here at home to lower costs, strengthen schools, protect health care, and make life more affordable for their families. 

“President Trump will say this is a sign of strength. It’s not. It’s a sign that we have a President who is only interested in distracting us from his failed, scandal-filled presidency, and putting the lives of our brave American service members at risk in the process. And we have an even weaker Congressman who refuses to stand up to him.

“Brian Fitzpatrick voted last month to hand Donald Trump expanded war powers. When it matters most, Fitzpatrick is refusing to fight for the issues facing our community.”

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican who is running for governor:

“As someone who deployed three times in service to our nation, I will always stand with the brave men and women of our military who serve with strength, discipline, and honor to protect our nation.

“My heart is also with the people of Iran who are courageously seeking freedom and basic human rights in the face of oppression. The Iranian people deserve dignity, opportunity, and the ability to determine their own future.

“God Bless the United States Armed Forces”