Colorado politicians had sharply divided responses to President Donald Trump announcing "major combat operations" in Iran on Saturday, with Republican lawmakers largely applauding the action and calling it a necessary step, while Democratic lawmakers slammed the decision to act without congressional approval.
The responses came after U.S. and Israeli forces launched major strikes on Iran on Saturday that have reportedly killed hundreds of people. In response, Iran reportedly fired missiles at U.S. military bases in the region. There have been no reports of U.S. casualties or combat-related injuries, U.S. Central Command said. The strikes came after tensions had escalated amid nuclear talks that Trump suggested had stalled, Scripps News reported.
National News
Trump announces 'major combat operations' in Iran, reportedly killing hundreds
Democratic Congressman Jason Crow — who represents Colorado's 6th district and is a former paratrooper and Army Ranger who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and House Armed Services Committee — slammed the decision.
“Trump is plunging us into another war in the Middle East. He’s learned nothing from decades of failed conflicts. It’s a war of choice with no clear end game, no authorization from Congress, and little support from Americans," he said in a statement. “I went to war three times for this country and learned that when elites in Washington bang the war drums, working class folks pay the price. The tough talk of a five-time draft dodger falls flat for Americans tired of military adventurism. Americans want us out of the regime change business."
“Endless war has cost us thousands of lives and trillions of dollars," he added, and called for Congress to return to Washington for a War Powers Resolution vote. The War Powers Act requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of launching military action.
The act allows the president to commit troops to battle for 60 days before needing congressional approval. Scripps News reported that a source said the "Gang of Eight" members of Congress were briefed by Pentagon officials Tuesday, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that seven of those members were reached prior to Saturday's attack.
Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Gabe Evans, a former U.S. Army officer who represents Colorado's 8th district, called it "a necessary step to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapon capabilities, eliminate imminent threats to the United States and our allies, and defend our core national security interests."
"Repeated efforts from the U.S. to negotiate in good faith and halt the expansion of Iran’s nuclear weapons program were met with deception and defiance, as the radical regime rejected every opportunity for peace," his statement said.
"As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I know the weight of these decisions," he added. "I am praying for every brave American service member carrying out this mission as they risk their lives to ensure the safety and longevity of our country and our allies across the world.”
World
Iran retaliates with missile barrage following strikes by US, Israel
Democratic Congresswoman Diana Degette, who represents Colorado's 1st district, also slammed Trump and called for a vote on the War Powers Resolution.
"This morning, Donald Trump illegally began a massive military operation against Iran without consulting Congress. During his State of the Union address earlier this week, President Trump made no attempt to explain why he felt military action was necessary at this time," the post said in part.
Degette said Congressional authorization was urgently needed, and that Congress "must immediately return to Washington and reclaim its Constitutional authority."
"While the Iranian regime is a brutal autocracy that has oppressed the Iranian people, that alone does not give Trump the justification needed to launch a military operation of this magnitude without Congressional approval," she wrote. "I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in stopping Trump’s unjustified march to war."
Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorado's 3rd district, posted in support of Trump, saying that Iran "has American blood on its hands" and "continues to threaten our allies and destabilize an already dangerous region."
"A nuclear armed Iran is not an option. Preventing that outcome is a clear national security imperative for the United States," his post said, in part. "I support President Trump’s decision to take decisive action to hold the Iranian regime accountable and to degrade its ability to threaten Americans and our allies. When American lives and security are at risk, we must be clear eyed and strong. Peace is best preserved through strength and resolve."
Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who represents Colorado's 5th district, also posted seemingly in support of the strikes.
"For the last half century, Iran has targeted and killed Americans, attacked our allies, funded terrorism across the world, and pursued a nuclear bomb," the post reads. "That ends now."
Democratic U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper said Trump had "bypassed his constitutional duty to seek congressional authorization" for the move and was acting "without an articulated goal, strategy, or endgame."
"This unilateral action ignores most Americans' desire to avoid endless foreign wars, creating the distinct impression of a calculated distraction from his domestic failures including the economy, ICE violence, and the unreleased Epstein files," he said in the statement. "While we would certainly welcome the fall of Iran’s terror-sponsoring and repressive regime, the President's reckless approach leaves us facing profound, unanswered questions about the new dangers he has unleashed."
Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said he had "seen no new intelligence or information suggesting that Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon had become more imminent, as the Administration suggested."
"Iran is a terrorist state that can never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, which is why I supported tough economic and diplomatic measures that effectively constrained Tehran’s nuclear ambitions for years," he said in the statement.
"Having chosen, once again, to act unilaterally, the Trump Administration must explain immediately to Congress and the American people how it plans to prevent these events from creating a chain reaction that hopelessly destabilizes Iran or ignites a regional conflagration that jeopardizes the lives of American troops," he said in the statement, adding that he planned to vote for the War Powers Resolution "to rein in President Trump’s unauthorized war."
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also posted in the wake of the strikes.
"Today in the wake of US strikes, our hearts turn to the long-oppressed people of Iran," he said in the post. "It’s hard to predict what the impact of today’s strikes will be, and no doubt there are many innocent victims, but I truly hope for a better world in which the wonderful people of Iran can breathe free. May recent events and the inspirational bravery of the Iranian people lead to a brighter future with human rights for all."
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.