Castro Statement on Military Strike in Iraq
WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released the following statement after the death by U.S. drone strike of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian government’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds force:
“President Trump’s strike in Iraq that resulted in the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani was taken without congressional authorization and raises serious risks of escalation that he and his Administration have not demonstrated the ability to manage effectively.
“Qasem Soleimani was an enemy of the United States, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, as well as thousands of other people. But this action to kill him without legal basis, congressional input, or a clear plan for what comes next, undermines our national security and seriously endangers the lives of Americans and the lives of our allies, in Iraq and here at home.
“We have a President who has failed not only in his Iranian policy, but in his responsibility as commander-in-chief. He has made the region less stable and less safe for our country and our allies. This knee-jerk, action-reaction cycle is not sustainable, nor is it a serious and credible answer to managing grave risk and preventing unintended consequences.
“The Congress must now push for answers and hear directly from the President on the legal ground for his actions. Our nation must hear his plan to manage any disaster of his own making. Our priority first and foremost is to protect the safety of American people, at home and abroad, and to defend our body’s constitutional authority to approve military action.”
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