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Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) voted in favor of H. Con. Res. 83 in the full House of Representatives, which would require Congress to authorize future military actions against Iran.

“Out of all of Congress’ duties, our most important responsibility is to keep the American people safe,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Qasem Soleimani was certainly an evil man with the blood of hundreds of American servicemen and women on his hands, but since tensions in the Middle East have risen in recent days, we must make every effort to avoid further conflict and ensure that decisions on how to engage Iran going forward are made thoughtfully, carefully and in consultation with Congress. While I hope we are on a path toward de-escalation in the Middle East region, important questions remain about our goals for the long term, including how to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The White House and Congress need to work together to keep our nation safe.”

BACKGROUND ON H. CON. RES. 83

H. Con. Res. 83 would require the White House to gain Congressional approval of future military operations against Iran after 30 days, unless it is in response to an imminent threat. House passage of this resolution comes after the U.S. military drone strike in Iraq ordered by the president on Thursday, January 2, that killed Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force. Early on the morning of January 8, Iran retaliated with a missile strike on U.S. military facilities in Iraq.