Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“This Administration’s lack of a strategy has led to escalation and confusion in the Middle East. While we don’t know who is responsible for the attacks in Saudi Arabia, we do know that without a clear strategy to deescalate tensions with Iran, the situation will only get worse. As the Administration determines next steps, I’m compelled to remind them that the Constitution is clear: unless the United States is attacked first, the President needs authorization from Congress before attacking Iran, even if he is acting in support of one of our partners. I strongly supported Mr. Khanna’s amendment to the recent defense authorization bill which reaffirmed that there can be no military action against Iran without coming to Congress first. The notion that the White House may be waiting for a foreign government to make a decision instead of adhering to the Constitution is outrageous. The Administration needs to brief Congress fully and if the President is considering military options, his first stop must be Capitol Hill, not Riyadh.”

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