February 13, 2020 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday released the following statement on Senator Tim Kaine’s Iran War Powers Resolution:

“Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution has one goal: to prevent the president from going to war with Iran without congressional approval. I agree with that goal and will vote yes on final passage.

“Events came close to spiraling out of control earlier this year. Iranian rockets killed an American contractor in Iraq, and later Iran-backed militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Those acts led to the U.S. military strike against Qassem Soleimani, a senior Iranian general. Iran then responded with further rocket attacks against a base in Iraq, which led to more than 100 injured American service members.

“Thankfully hostilities have decreased in the wake of those attacks. But tensions between our countries remain high, and the threat of war persists. That’s why this resolution is so important. The Constitution gives Congress – and only Congress – the power to declare war. This resolution will ensure that the president can’t go to war on his own.

“My sincere hope is that it never comes to war with Iran. I firmly believe that neither the people of Iran nor many of their political leaders have any desire for war. Several Democratic senators, including myself, have spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif over the years, and I believe that he continues to seek peace between our countries.

“The time has come for both sides of this conflict to use diplomacy to its fullest extent. War would benefit neither country, and we must do all we can to prevent it.”
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein