“The most solemn power for Congress is Congress has the power to declare war, not the president.
Officials
Recent statements
“This administration, this president owns it if 702 goes dark, by throwing a live hand grenade into a controversial bill that was on a path to three years of reauthorization.
“Does anybody think it makes good sense to give them the keys to the 18 intelligence agencies, not just on 702, but across the board? I don't know how — I don't see a path forward, regardless of what I do, on how you convince the necessary Democrats, because listen, there's plenty of Republicans who don't want this renewed.
“I voted against the War Powers Resolution because it would have limited our servicemembers' ability to defend themselves and dismantle Iranian military capabilities targeting Americans. The President has taken decisive action to neutralize this threat. The mission is clear: degrade Iran's ability to threaten the United States and restore deterrence. Congress should ensure transparency and accountability — but we should not handicap our forces in real time.
“The concern is not only that Mr. Pulte lacks the 'extensive national security experience' required by statute for the job — it is that he appears to have been selected precisely because the White House believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.
“We don't build monuments and memorials to leaders who are still alive in America. Many of my colleagues are supporting my bill to reinforce Congress' power of the purse, stop the arch, and limit Donald Trump from building more monuments to his own ego.
“My thoughts are with Tulsi Gabbard and her family as her husband battles cancer... The Director of National Intelligence is entrusted with one of the most serious responsibilities in government: providing objective, fact-based intelligence to policymakers and the American people. At a time when the boundaries between verified intelligence and politically convenient claims have been blurred, it is critical that the office remain grounded in facts, independence, and the rule of law.
“The last thing that our country needs right now is a regime change war in Cuba based on imaginary threats to the homeland that would devastate the Cuban people and generate a man-made migration crisis.
“The right way to do it is like we did in 2013, or even in 2018. We can find a bipartisan path to do these things. So I'll oppose the unilateral effort that would put more money into agencies that could be better spent elsewhere.
“President Trump's deeply unpopular war of choice in Iran has imposed a tremendous cost on the American people—including deaths and injuries of our servicemembers and soaring gas prices. For several weeks, my colleagues and I have been forcing votes in the Senate to ensure we have a real debate about whether it's in our national interest to continue this war. I'm grateful that today, enough of my colleagues stood up for the Constitution and listened to their constituents.
“Trump's slush fund would give nearly $2 BILLION in taxpayer dollars to his supporters, including violent criminals. He's just stealing your money. There's no transparency, we won't know who gets paid, or how much. It's illegal and corrupt as hell. We're fighting it in court.
“He's lying, and today's transcribed interview is part of the ongoing cover-up. The American people deserve to see the sweat on the secretary's brow as he struggles to answer basic questions.
“He somehow remembers going to the island after pictures surfaced of him being at the island, but he doesn't remember why he went.
“A ceasefire means bombs aren't dropping. It doesn't mean there are no hostilities. If we're using the U.S. military to blockade everything going into and out of Iran, that's still hostility.
“The blockade of Cuba has caused humanitarian crises across the island — disrupting medical care, leaving millions without clean water, and spiking food prices. Congress must assert its authority. We cannot allow the president to impose what amounts to an act of war without a single vote by the people's representatives.
“We'll have [a vote] all the weeks of this work period, including right up against the 60-day period.
“A naval blockade is an act of war under international law. The president has no authority to impose one without congressional authorization. We will force a vote. The American people did not elect one man to decide unilaterally whether to blockade the world's most critical energy chokepoint.
“I don't understand how blockading the strait is somehow going to push the Iranians into opening it. The Strait of Hormuz was open before this war started. Gas in Virginia was $2.81 forty days ago and is over $4 now. Even if the president declares victory tomorrow, those high gas prices will be with us for months.
“The subpoena did not become null and void when Bondi was ousted. She must come before the Committee. If she doesn't, we must immediately hold her in contempt. The Department of Justice does not get to decide which lawful subpoenas former officials are required to honor.
“We are writing to express our serious concerns about Secretary Hegseth's statements regarding the abrupt dismissals of several Judge Advocate Generals and demand legal justification and documentation of the decision-making process.
“We will have this war powers vote within the next 48 hours or so, and every member of this body will do the most solemn thing any of us ever do — vote on whether the United States should be at war.
“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran? These strikes are a colossal mistake. Wars that aren't authorized by Congress don't have clear objectives.
“This is a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the U.S. into a broader conflict.
“For decades, our nonpartisan civil service has set us apart from other countries and enabled us to have stability and continuity no matter who is in the White House. The Trump Administration's move to reclassify federal employees to make it easier to fire them for political reasons will hurt these workers and their families, threaten our national security, and make it harder for Americans to access the services they need. If we want to continue to lead the world, then we must have a federal workforce based on merit, not politics.
“For decades, our nonpartisan civil service has set us apart from other countries and enabled us to have stability and continuity no matter who is in the White House. The Trump Administration's move to reclassify federal employees to make it easier to fire them for political reasons will hurt these workers and their families, threaten our national security, and make it harder for Americans to access the services they need.
“It is difficult to trust that any Chair of the Federal Reserve selected by this president will be able to act with the independence required of the position, knowing that this administration will levy charges against any leader who makes interest rate decisions based on facts and the needs of our economy rather than Trump's personal preferences.
“It's time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war on his own say-so, which is not what the Constitution allowed. If colleagues believe that a war against the narco-traffickers in the ocean or a war against Venezuela is a good idea, then put an authorization of military force on the table and debate and vote it, but don't just hand the power over to an executive.
“If that reporting is true, it's a clear violation of the DoD's own laws of war, as well as international laws about the way you treat people who are in that circumstance. It rises to the level of a war crime if it's true.