Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) voted for H.Con. Res. 38, a bipartisan War Powers Resolution that reaffirms that only Congress – not the executive branch – has the constitutional power to declare war. 

The vote follows President Trump’s unilateral decision to launch military strikes in Iran without congressional approval, a move that has already resulted in the deaths of multiple U.S. servicemembers and escalated tensions in the region without a clear plan for stability and peace. Despite bipartisan support, the resolution failed to pass the House today, even though 59% of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to take military action in Iran. 

“My heart is with the service members and civilians who have already lost their lives in this conflict, and with the families of the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. Going to war is one of the most serious and difficult decisions a country can make. We have a system of checks and balances to prevent one person from unilaterally making that decision without any imminent threat.

“At the same time, this incompetent administration is firing the very experts responsible for overseeing cybersecurity and counterterrorism while escalating this conflict. This only makes the American people less safe. Trump is willing to spend nearly $1 billion a day on bombs in the Middle East while ripping health care away from millions of families and bankrolling lawless ICE operations that are leaving U.S. citizens dead in the streets. That is a complete betrayal of the American people. 

“War doesn’t just cost us precious lives abroad – it hits families here at home. As tensions escalate, we’re already seeing gas prices soar. And working families – who are already struggling with rising costs from Trump’s tariff regime – are going to be forced to foot the bill for a conflict they never asked for to begin with. 

“That’s why I voted for the War Powers Resolution to reaffirm Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war and rein in this rogue president who consistently undermines our constitution and the rule of law. Our service members deserve better, our families deserve better, and the future of this country demands better.”

Representative Pettersen has joined two War Powers Resolutions to check executive power in regards to military action in Iran: H.Con. Res. 38, led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, and H.Con. Res. 40, introduced by Reps. Greg Meeks, Jim Himes, and Adam Smith, the top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Armed Services Committees.