WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, all U.S. Senators received a briefing on ongoing U.S. military strikes in Iran from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released this statement shortly after the briefing:
“After the briefing today, my position remains unchanged and I will vote for the War Powers Resolution Act tomorrow.”
On Feb. 28, soon after the Trump Administration ordered the strikes, Sen. Cantwell issued a statement:
“The President should not have initiated a large-scale attack on Iran without Congressional approval, the support of key allies around the world, or having made his case to the American people.
“The Iranian government is by every definition an enemy of the United States, but the enduring solution is to leverage strong bipartisan support for tougher sanctions and rebuilding the international coalition of allies and partners forged to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon by having a vigorous inspection regime like the one under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Congress must demand that the President seek our Constitutionally required approval if he intends to engage in a protracted conflict. He must also send his military and civilian leadership team before the people’s representatives in the House and the Senate to explain where we are and where he is taking us. Adherence to the Constitution, transparency, reason, and deliberation, guided by American values and interests, should determine what we do next.”
On March 1, she issued a statement in response to the news that three U.S. service members had been killed in the conflict: “My heart goes out to the families of the servicemembers killed and injured. Our troops valiantly put their lives on the line for the nation, every one of them a hero. The Trump Administration must come before Congress.”
On March 2, she cosponsored a resolution led by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
In June 2025, shortly after the United States bombed alleged nuclear sites in Iran, Sen. Cantwell voted in support of another War Powers Resolution that ultimately failed 47-53.