Senate Six Declare War on Iran War

Jamie Stiehm
Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:41:20 -0700
Opinion

Readers, does it seem we're going through one constitutional crisis after another?

Six Democratic senators told a scrum of journalists that President Donald Trump's newly launched war on Iran, with Israel, pushed them past a breaking point. They vowed to force public hearings and debate on the war, which is costing about a billion dollars a day without a clear endpoint.

Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) voiced the strongest case against the escalating war in the Middle East.
Updated: Wed Mar 11, 2026

Readers, does it seem we're going through one constitutional crisis after another?

Six Democratic senators told a scrum of journalists that President Donald Trump's newly launched war on Iran, with Israel, pushed them past a breaking point. They vowed to force public hearings and debate on the war, which is costing about a billion dollars a day without a clear endpoint.

Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) voiced the strongest case against the escalating war in the Middle East.

"The president jumped into a war of choice with no oversight, no hearings," he said. "The Senate has to do our job."

"This is the choice of one reckless individual," Booker said. "All that an authoritarian government needs is for the Senate and House to do nothing."

He was joined in the Capitol press gallery by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Adam Schiff (Calif.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Tim Kaine (Va.) and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.). The lawmakers declined to discuss their strategy to make the Senate fully consider and deliberate over the war in Iran.

Strictly speaking, the Senate six are right. In the usual course of events, a president seeks a greenlight of congressional approval before rushing into war. So far, Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress let the war pass unchallenged.

But, Baldwin declared, "The president ignored the law and constitution. The Republicans have abdicated."

The six Democrats felt overlooked — disrespected — by Trump on his tariff policy too. His White House makes no pretense of consulting or including the opposition party on policy decisions.

Murphy said the American people should express their stand on the war through elected members of Congress. "This is so brazenly cavalier," he said.

The Connecticut senator called for Cabinet Secretaries Pete Hegseth (Defense) and Marco Rubio (State) to come to Capitol Hill to answer questions under oath.

The coalition expressed concern about Iranian civilian casualties, including a girls' school.

A common lament was that Trump had promised voters he would end foreign wars. But then he launched a military operation in Venezuela, taking a foreign leader, Nicolas Maduro, prisoner in January.

Then came the sudden attack on Iran as February melted to March. Senators stated there was no immediate threat to the United States to justify the air attack on the Persian nation.

"The president has grown too fond of war," Schiff said.

Kaine, who has naval constituents serving at sea and in Virginia shipyards, asked, "Is this worth risking our kids and spouses?"

Duckworth, a veteran Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, lost her legs in battle. "I volunteered to serve in Iraq. I was proud to go," she said. "I'm concerned (Trump) could use troops as cannon fodder, misusing the military."

She added, "What is the next step?"

That is the question gripping Washington, especially if Trump decides to send soldiers on the ground without building public support.

Given Trump's indifference to public opinion — rising gas prices and all — that suggests we may lurch into one more constitutional crisis before long. I don't think he cares much what others think, unlike most politicians, because he has a scheme to steal the 2026 election for Republicans.

I might add, Democrats are always chasing Trump after he's left the cage match. Next time, the stakes are even higher than war.

Remember, this man is capable of mass political violence to win, and to overturn an election.

With Trump, always think of the worst case, and then some. Knowing Democrats are poised to take the House in the 2026 midterms, he's preparing and planting conspiracy theories and election deniers in key battleground states. What a surprise.

Wait, there's more. The pending Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would severely crimp voter turnout, critics say, requiring an ID and citizenship card. Married women who changed their name recently would not be admitted to the polls. Senate Republican leader John Thune (S.D.) is not backing the extreme measure.

Newspaper reports say Trump wishes to "nationalize" the midterms in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona. That's completely contrary to the Constitution and custom. The states each run their own federal elections. That's the way it is.

Or, should I say, that's the way it was.