Rep. Linda Sánchez condemns U.S. airstrikes on Iran

Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Whittier), who represents portions of southeast Los Angeles County including north Downey, issued a strong rebuke this week of President Trump’s recent military strikes against Iran, calling them a “reckless abuse of power” and a violation of the Constitution.

In a statement released in the wake of the airstrikes, Sánchez criticized the president for acting without congressional authorization and bypassing the legislative branch's authority to declare war.

“President Trump's unauthorized military strikes against Iran are a reckless abuse of power and a dangerous escalation,” Sánchez said. “In his address, he offered no justification for bypassing Congress, which holds the constitutional authority to declare war.”

The airstrikes, which reportedly targeted Iranian military infrastructure, have reignited debate in Washington over the scope of presidential war powers. Sánchez, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, accused the president of undermining U.S. national security by abandoning diplomatic solutions in favor of unilateral military action.

“By withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and now acting unilaterally, the president has undermined our security,” she continued. “The president is hellbent on dragging the United States into another prolonged, problematic war in the Middle East.”

Sánchez called on her Republican colleagues in Congress to join Democrats in asserting legislative authority over matters of war and peace.

“I call on Republicans to take a stand with Democrats to defend the Constitution and our country’s troops from a reckless president,” she said. “Congress must reclaim our war powers now.”

The White House has defended the strikes as necessary to deter further aggression from Iran, but critics in both parties have expressed concern over the lack of congressional consultation and the potential for escalation into a broader conflict.

Congress is expected to revisit efforts to reassert war powers authority in the coming weeks.