New Mexico congressional delegation united against war with Iran

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution Thursday to halt U.S. attacks on Iran, following the defeat of a similar resolution Wednesday in the U.S. Senate.

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are maintaining a united front against the war. All three of the state’s U.S. House members voted in favor of the war powers resolution Thursday, following a 47-53 vote on a similar war powers resolution Wednesday in the Senate, which Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján supported.

While the tally in the House, 212-219, was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for, and opposition to, the U.S.-Israel military operation.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, as other members of New Mexico’s all-Democratic congressional delegation, has been emphatic that only Congress has the power to declare war.

“President Trump’s reckless, unlawful, and unauthorized strikes in Iran have already cost the lives of six American Service members and over 200 civilians,” said Stansbury, who represents the 1st Congressional District. “That is why I voted ‘YES’ on a War Powers Resolution to stop the use of this military force without Congressional approval.”

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said representatives of Americans should be involved in war decisions. 

“I voted for the War Powers Resolution because Congress has a constitutional duty to decide when our nation goes to war,” said Leger Fernández, who represents the state’s northern congressional district. “If American lives are on the line, the American people deserve a debate and a vote through their elected representatives.”

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, called on the Trump administration to end the war abroad and refocus on domestic issues.

“This Administration took unilateral military action in Iran without the authorization of Congress, without providing a rational explanation to the American people, and without stating clear strategic goals or an exit plan,” Vasquez said. “This type of reckless behavior is how America enters endless ‘forever wars’ that this Administration vowed to never start.”

At the Capitol, the conflict has quickly carried echoes of the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and many Sept. 11-era veterans now serve in Congress.

Republicans largely back Trump, and most Democrats oppose the war. Crossover coalitions emerged among those in Congress. Two Republicans joined most Democrats in voting for the war powers resolution, while four Democrats joined Republicans to reject it.

The war powers resolution, if signed into law, would have immediately halted Trump's ability to conduct the war unless Congress approved the military action. The president would likely veto it.

The operation has killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which some view as an opportunity for regime change, though others warn of a chaotic power vacuum.

Six U.S. military members were killed over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait, and Trump has said more Americans could die. Thousands of Americans abroad have scrambled for flights, many lighting up phone lines at congressional offices as they sought help trying to flee the Middle East.

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that it would be “dangerous” to limit the president’s authority while the U.S. military is already in conflict.

“We are not at war," said Johnson, R-La., a close ally of Trump. He said the operation is limited in scope and duration, and the "mission is nearly accomplished.”

For Democrats, Trump's attack on Iran, influenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is a war of choice that is testing the balance of powers in the Constitution.

“The Administration has provided no clear justification for strikes, no identification of an imminent threat, no plan for what comes next, and no plan for how the region will be stabilized in the aftermath,” added Stansbury, of Albuquerque. “The American people demand answers — and the law demands that Congress act.”

Vasquez, of Las Cruces, said Americans deserve answers when troops are in harm’s way.

“The American people deserve to have clarity and understand this Administration’s strategy — if there is one at all — and how it serves our interests,” he said.

Leger Fernández, of Santa Fe, said Republicans are more interested in war than domestic concerns.

“Republicans always find the money for bombs, but somehow never worry about helping Americans afford healthcare,” she said. “Today, alongside the President, they have made a choice to spend billions on yet another war in the Middle East. Americans are dying. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Chaos and instability are spreading. What message does this send to every American, every servicemember risking their life, and every family member worrying about their loved ones?”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the war could extend eight weeks, twice as long as the president first estimated. Trump has left open the possibility of sending U.S. troops into what has largely been a bombing campaign. More than 1,230 people in Iran have died.

The administration said the goal is to destroy Iran's ballistic missiles that it believes are shielding its nuclear program. It has also said Israel was ready to act, and American bases would face retaliation if the U.S. did not strike Iran first.

Journal staff contributed to this report.