More Than 100 WA Elected Officials Demand Congressional Delegation Vote "YES" On War Power Resolution

More than 100 state and local elected officials from across Washington have signed a public letter demanding that the state’s Democratic congressional delegation support legislation to rein in presidential war powers and block a new war with Iran. The War Powers Resolutions—introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate just days before President Donald Trump’s  “blatantly unconstitutional" strikes on Iran—would require congressional approval before the United States enters into any new conflict with Iran, reasserting a constitutional check that lawmakers say has been eroded by decades of undeclared war.

"As elected leaders in state and local government, we echo the will of the broader American public clearly and unequivocally opposing another senseless war with Iran," the letter reads. "We welcome the ceasefire currently in place, and urge our Members of Congress to support the formal war powers resolutions introduced in the House and Senate that would assert Congress's constitutional authority as the only body that can enter into a war on behalf of the United State of America."

The letter continued, “Iranian Americans and Americans of all backgrounds across our state have watched with horror in the past several days as President Trump's escalation against Iran threatens to explode into a new full blown war. Families and friends with ties to Iran, Israel and U.S. military personnel stationed in the region alike have felt the pain, anguish and fear of not knowing whether our loved ones are okay. We stand with our constituents against this war, and urge that our congressional leaders secure a lasting peace beyond this ceasefire through formal action within their power.”

War Powers Resolution Letter Press Release.pdf

Download PDF • 181KB

The list of signers includes a wide swath of Washington’s political leadership: King County Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda, Girmay Zahilay, and Jorge L. Barón; Seattle City Council Members Joy Hollingsworth, Cathy Moore, and Alexis Mercedes Rinck; school board members from Walla Walla to South Whidbey; mayors and city councilmembers from Shoreline to Sammamish; and more than 50 state legislators.

So far, as the letter notes, only one member of Washington’s congressional delegation has committed to voting “yes” on the War Powers Resolution: Congress Member Pramila Jayapal. 

The organizer of the letter, Rep. Darya Farviar, the only Iranian-American elected to the state legislature, told The Burner that she’s contacted every Democrat member of the Washington Congressional delegation. But she hasn’t gotten the commitment she needs to feel confident that the other Washington representatives and senators will vote “yes.”

And time is running out. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution today.

According to emails between Farivar and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray's offices, the lawmakers have kept their cards close to their chest. When Farivar emailed Cantwell, a staffer thanked Farivar for her message and copy-pasted a statement from the Senator issued June 13. 

“According to yesterday’s report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is closer to getting nuclear weapons. That is a real threat to Israel and would destabilize the already volatile Middle East,” Cantwell said. “We are at this crisis today because President Trump foolishly walked away from President Obama’s 2018 Iran nuclear agreement under which Iran had agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and to open its facilities to international inspections, putting more eyes on the ground.  The United States should now lead the international community towards a diplomatic solution to avoid a wider war that would have devastating consequences for our ally Israel, the people of the Middle East, as well as the world economy.”

Farivar got a similar response from Sen. Patty Murray’s office. No commitment, just a copy-pasted statement. 

“Israel’s decision to attack Iran is a dangerous and unprecedented escalation, which endangers American servicemembers and civilians in the region, and puts countless other innocent lives at risk,” Murray said. “Along with my colleagues, I will be closely monitoring the situation and urging the administration to ensure Americans remain out of harm’s way. 

Murray went on, “I urge the Trump administration and other leaders around the world to de-escalate the situation before it devolves into a prolonged, regional conflict that threatens the safety and security of millions of people and undermines U.S. national security interests. Like all Americans, I hope for a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.  While we should never forget that it was Trump who carelessly walked away from President Obama’s deal to contain the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, President Trump and his administration must now do everything possible to de-escalate the situation.”