Kelly Statement on Military Operation Against Iran

Today, Arizona Senator and Navy Combat Veteran Mark Kelly released the following statement on the U.S. military operation against Iran: 

“After promising to keep America out of war and instead focus on lowering costs for families, Donald Trump has launched a large-scale military operation against Iran.  

“We’ve seen this playbook before. Weeks of inflated claims, selective facts, and talk of imminent threats that led the American people into a war that cost thousands of American lives and trillions of taxpayer dollars. 

“The United States has the most capable military in the world. I have complete confidence in our service members, and I’m praying for their safety. The question is never whether they can do the mission. It’s whether the mission makes sense and makes us safer—and what it’s going to cost. 

“The Iranian people deserve freedom. They deserve the right to choose their own leaders. So, what’s the plan for what comes next? I don’t think Donald Trump knows the answer, and that’s dangerous when American lives are on the line. 

“When I launched on my first combat mission during Operation Desert Storm 35 years ago, I understood the mission and the end goal. So did Congress. So did the American people. That’s the minimum level of leadership this country deserves. And Donald Trump has failed again at that. 

“The Senate needs to come back to Washington immediately and do its Constitutional duty.”