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Sen. Mark Warner acknowledged Saturday night that the country “posed a serious threat to regional stability”, but had questions about what the objectives are now, after the Iran bombing. The Virginia senator released a statement to The Herald and other Virginia media in the wake of Saturday’s announcement. 

“President Trump came into office promising to ‘end the endless foreign wars,’” Warner said.  “Tonight, he took steps that could drag the United States into another one, without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what’s at stake.”

He’s referring to a decision that was announced earlier Saturday night. President Donald Trump told the nation he had authorized bombing strikes, which were carried out on Iran’s Fordo, Natanx and Esfahan nuclear enrichment sites.  

“A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan,” Trump said in Saturday night’s press conference. “Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success”.

The Fordo complex is believed to be deep underground, so the U.S. had to use 30,000 pound “bunker buster” bombs, able to break through roughly 60 feet of concrete or 200 feet of ground before exploding, federal officials said Saturday night. According to the British Broadcasting Service (BBC), Iran’s state tv announced Saturday night that nuclear materials “had already been taken out” of the facilities, adding that they had evacuated all three sites.

In his press conference Saturday, Trump said that it was time for Iran to make peace. 

“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump added.

Questions after Iran bombing

Mark Warner, who serves as the Vice Chairman for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wanted to know both what the next steps are after the Iran bombing and how the administration is measuring success in the current situation. 

“There is no question that Iran poses a serious threat to regional stability, and the United States must remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security and in ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” Warner said. “But launching direct military strikes without authorization from or consultation with Congress raises urgent questions: What is the president’s objective? How is he measuring success? And what’s the plan to prevent this from dragging our country into another open-ended conflict in the Middle East that costs American lives and resources for years to come?” 

In his speech, Trump said that on Sunday, both Gen. Caine and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would hold an 8 a.m. press conference, providing more detail about the situation and steps moving forward. 

A question of authority

The question of presidential authority in a situation like this is something that’s been debated for decades. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution states that the “sole” authority to declare war rests with Congress.

However, presidents have ordered military strikes for years without seeking approval. That practice dates back to the 1950s, when President Harry S. Truman ordered U.S. forces into Korea without a formal declaration of war from Congress. Congress never actually declared war during the Korean War with Truman instead relying on a U.S. Security Council resolution, labeling it a “police action”. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush ordered the invasion of Panama to remove Manuel Noriega from power without a declaration from Congress. The same was true a few years later, when President Bill Clinton ordered troops into Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Kosovo and Sudan. 

A few more recent examples include 2011, when President Barack Obama ordered military intervention into Libya’s civil war. At the time, he claimed Congressional approval wasn’t needed, as the act didn’t fall under the War Powers Resolution. And then last year, President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen without approval from Congress. To do so, he cited the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which allowed the President to use force against those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and their allies. 

Mark Warner wants to see discussion 

On Saturday, Warner argued that a decision like this needed to be discussed more. 

“The Constitution makes clear that the power to authorize war lies with Congress,” Warner said. “There are more than 40,000 U.S. servicemembers deployed across the region, as well as American diplomats, contractors, and aid workers, and the safety of our personnel must be paramount. With American lives and our national security on the line, any action that could draw the United States into a broader conflict demands transparency, accountability, and a clear strategy. So far, the president has offered none of these.”

Instead, Warner argued that the president needs to come before Congress “to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict.”

Bill to get a vote after Iran bombing

Saturday’s decision will also push another Virginia senator’s bill to the forefront in Congress. Last week, Sen. Tim Kaine filed a resolution “to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.” 

After filing the bill, Kaine argued that it wasn’t in America’s interest to get into a war unless necessary for our nation’s defense. 

“I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Kaine said in a statement. “The American people have no interest in sending servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East. This resolution will ensure that if we decide to place our nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.”

After Saturday’s bombing, Kaine pointed out via a social media post that Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to war with Iran, given recent polls. He also questioned the timing of the bombing, as a previous strike Friday by Israel had, according to the Israeli Foreign Minister, set the Iranian nuclear program back two or three years.

“So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today?” Kaine asked in his post. “Horrible judgment. I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.” 

Kaine’s bill is a war powers resolution, which is considered privileged. That means the Senate is required to “promptly consider” and vote on it.  

You can read text of the resolution by clicking here.