Press Release

Representative Ami Bera, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), made the following statement on recent tensions with Iran, including the President's decision to approve then cancel a military strike against Iran.

"We are currently in a dangerous situation with Iran, and it's incumbent on the Administration to work towards deescalating tensions through diplomacy and by working closely with our allies," said Rep. Bera. "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and seeks to destabilize our allies and security in the Middle East, and their decision to shoot down an American drone was a reckless and provocative action. While we have the right and obligation to defend ourselves, the President must consult with Congress before taking any military action that can put our brave servicemembers in harm's way."

Rep. Bera continued "The President's decision last night to approve and then cancel a planned military strike on Iran seemed to be muddled in confusion without a clear and coherent strategy. This further raises questions about the process by which the Administration is making decisions on critical national security issues, including who helps inform the President on these decisions. It's within our Congressional oversight role to understand how these decisions are made."

Rep. Bera previously raised concerns about the decision of the Administration to declare an emergency declaration to bypass Congress in authorizing weapon sales to Gulf countries. In a June 12 HFAC hearing, Rep. Bera questioned R. Clarke Cooper, Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State on the origins of the Department's memo justifying the arms sales, and has sought further information from the Department related to who wrote and cleared the memo.

For questions, please contact Travis Horne, Communications Director, at travis.horne@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5716.