Senate, House key leaders briefed ahead of strikes

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

The Gang of Eight was briefed ahead of the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In a social media post Saturday morning, the Louisiana Republican said the eight members of Congress were briefed in detail earlier in the week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Gang of Eight is a reference to Johnson plus Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. The are chairmen of pivotal committees – Cotton and Warner from the Senate Committee on Intelligence; Crawford and Himes the House Committee on Intelligence; and respective majority and minority party leadership of each chamber, Thune and Schumer in the Senate and Johnson and Jeffries in the House.

Johnson wrote in part the group “was briefed in detail earlier this week that military action may become necessary to protect American citizens in Iran. I received updates from Secretary Rubio thereafter, and I will remain in close contact with the president and the Department of War as this operation proceeds.”

Jeffries put out a statement criticizing second-term Republican President Donald Trump. He said Trump “failed to seek congressional authorization prior to striking Iran,” and said the administration “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes as an act of war.”

Declaration of “war” has not been made by Trump or his senior-most leaders.

Warner echoed Jeffries’ message, while acknowledging that the Islamic Republic’s “leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions, and brutally repressed its own people.”

However, the senator says that Congress “must be fully briefed,” with the Trump administration to make “clear legal justification” for actions in Iran.

Cotton came out in support of Trump’s decision to strike Iran, citing Iran’s history of supporting terrorism against the U.S.

Writing on social media, Cotton said in part, “A nuclear-weapons program. Thousands of missiles. State sponsorship of terror. Iran has waged war against the U.S. for 47 years: the hostage crisis, the Beirut Marine barracks, Khobar Towers, roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed and maimed thousands of American soldiers, the attempted assassination of President Trump. The butcher’s bill has finally come due for the ayatollahs.”