Bombs over Iran, but no heads-up for Dems: Irritated lawmakers gripe they were left in the dark on secret strikes
Congressional Democrats are blaring they were kept in the dark about President Donald Trump 's Saturday night strikes on Iran 's nuclear sites.
Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) the top ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence committees, respectively, did not know about the attacks until after they took place, sources told CNN.
Himes, part of the intelligence-heavy Gang of Eight, voiced outrage: 'According to the Constitution… my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall.' CNN also reported that other Democrat members of the Gang of Eight did not get a heads up on the operation.
Warner indicated he was 'frustrated' by the delay in being briefed.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations committee complained that the president bucked a bipartisan tradition of 'regularly briefing Congress on major national security events.'
Meanwhile, other Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), are contending the Iran strikes were ill-advised because the country 'posed no imminent threat' to the U.S.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to the attack with a call for a vote of the War Powers Act on the Senate floor.
'No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,' Schumer said in a statement following the American strike on Iran's nuclear sites Saturday evening.
'Confronting Iran's ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased.'
I was briefed on the intelligence last week.
Iran posed no imminent threat of attack to the United States. Iran was not close to building a deliverable nuclear weapon. The negotiations Israel scuttled with their strikes held the potential for success.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 22, 2025
NEWS — Chuck Schumer says Congress must enforce the War Powers Act.
'I'm urging Leader Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately. I am voting for it and implore all Senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.' pic.twitter.com/W1TtndzNHw
— Stephen Neukam (@stephen_neukam) June 22, 2025
Ranking Member Jim Himes on Military Action in the Middle East pic.twitter.com/RbLscJvu3h
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntelDems) June 22, 2025
In post on X, Himes critiqued Trump's decision as unconstitutional, without approval from Congress, a position endorsed by anti-interventionist Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Massie, the first member of the president's party to condemn the strikes, joined forces with California Democrat Ro Khanna last week to introduce the Iran War Powers Resolution in the House of Representatives 'to prohibit U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war.'
At least two Democrats called on Saturday night for Trump to be impeached over ordering the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went scorched earth with her statement posted on X.
She said: 'The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers.
'He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.'
The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers.
He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.
It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 22, 2025
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, speaks to the press in Newark, New Jersey, on June 21, 2025
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) walk to attend a press conference following the U.S. Senate Democrats' weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 10, 2025
Illinois Democrat Sean Casten was another member of the House to call for the President to be ousted.
'This is not about the merits of Iran's nuclear program. No president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense,' Casten wrote, within an hour of Trump announcing the successful attack.
This is not about the merits of Iran's nuclear program. No president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense.
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) June 22, 2025
Yet, a few Democrats split from the bulk of their party and took Trump's side, defending the Commander in Chief's decision to strike Iran.
Richie Torres, another New York Democrat, praised the success of the attack without mentioning Trump directly.
'The decisive destruction of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant prevents the dangerous spread of nuclear weapons in the world's most combustible region. No one truly committed to nuclear nonproliferation should mourn the fall of Fordow' Torres wrote.
The world can achieve peace in the Middle East, or it can accept a rogue nuclear weapons program—but it cannot have both.
The decisive destruction of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant prevents the dangerous spread of nuclear weapons in the world's most combustible region. No one…
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) June 22, 2025
Pennsylvania's Democrat Senator John Fetterman reposted Trump's announcement of the successful attack, adding 'As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.'
As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS.
Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.
I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/YZ0pIaunff
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) June 22, 2025
Last week, Fetterman passionately articulated his support for Israel amid its conflict with Iran on Tuesday, encouraging the United States to do all they can to assist its ally in the Middle East.
Fetterman also explicitly called for America to use the '30,000 pound bunker busters' on Iran's nuclear sites.
I just introduced an Iran War Powers Resolution with @RepRoKhanna to prohibit U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war.
This is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution. pic.twitter.com/LuIl59lt45
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 17, 2025
This is insane. Trump just bombed Iran without Congressional approval, illegally dragging us into war in the Middle East. Have we not learned our lesson!?!?
Congress must return to Washington at once to vote on @RepThomasMassie 's War Powers Resolution to stop this madness. https://t.co/t81ntUPNyh
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) June 22, 2025
Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without Congressional authorization.
I join my colleagues in demanding answers from the Administration on this operation which endangers American lives and risks further escalation and…
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 22, 2025
Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) Ranking Member on the House Rules Committee called for his colleagues to immediately 'return to Washington' to vote on Massie and Khanna's War Powers Resolution to 'stop this madness', also calling Trump's action 'insane.'
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