The members of New Hampshire’s all-Democratic congressional delegation have thus far refused to say if they support or oppose the Trump administration’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday. But they all say that President Donald Trump should have come to Congress to get authorization for the attack.
“I have always remained steadfast in my conviction that this Iranian regime can never get a nuclear weapon,” U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander posted on Twitter/X. “But I have a number of basic questions that deserve answers from Donald Trump and his administration. Among them: What was the constitutional justification for doing this without congressional authorization?”
Her fellow New Hampshire Democrat U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas raised the same issue.
“It is the role of Congress to consider and approve the deployment of U.S. military power to wage war, not a unilateral decision to be made by the president,” Pappas stated. “The American people and elected leaders in Congress deserve immediate answers about today’s strikes and a clear plan from the administration about how we protect our national security interests.”
Ditto, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.
“It is Congress’s constitutional role to declare war and authorize the use of military force, and the president should be working with Congress to address national security issues,” she wrote.
Interestingly, neither Hassan nor Pappas publicly objected when President Joe Biden launched similar military strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen over the previous four years. Several of those military actions were designed to punish Iranian-backed militants who had injured or killed Americans on Biden’s watch. And according to Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, they were designed to influence Iran’s behavior as well.
Ironically, Sullivan is the husband of Goodlander. She was working in the Biden administration at the time as well.
Goodlander declined to respond to questions about whether she believes Trump’s military action that decimated Iran’s nuclear program was a smart move, with or without congressional approval. Pappas also refused to reveal his views, either.
The Republicans who may run against Pappas — or in the race to replace him — were far more direct in their responses.
Ask for his view of Trump’s decision to bomb Iran, and potential GOP U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown said Trump was right.
“Iran has been exporting terrorism and death around the region and the world. President Trump has been very clear that Iran can never have nuclear weapons, and he made the right call,” said Brown, a 35-year veteran of the National Guard who deployed to the Middle East. “And our military heroes did a great job completing their mission.”
Brown found Pappas’ response to the Iran attacks inadequate.
“So what’s Pappas’ position exactly? He wants to ‘monitor it?’ Someday he’s going to have to actually make a stand on important things.”
And Brown believes Pappas is wrong regarding the need for congressional authorization.
“The president has clear constitutional authority to do what he did. It is no different than when Presidents Obama and Biden went into Syria and Libya when they believed our interests or our citizens were in danger. There was complete silence from the Democrats when that happened.”
In the race to replace Pappas in the First Congressional District, the divide between the two parties is the same. Both Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan declined to comment on Trump’s actions, and they both complained that he should have come to Congress first.
“We must do everything possible to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but the president’s action should have been debated and approved by Congress, after a thorough review of the intelligence. Congress has the constitutional authority – and obligation – to authorize the use of U.S. military force. It is essential that the Congress reclaim that authority,” said Sullivan, a Marine veteran.
Shaheen said, “This military strike was launched without congressional approval and without the concerted and exhaustive diplomatic effort that should have been pursued first to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
Republicans Chris Bright and Hollie Noveletsky are both military veterans, they’re both considering entering the NH-01 race, and they both support Trump’s actions.
“I fully entrust the president and his highly qualified national security team to take decisive action in the manner they deem necessary to protect American interests,” Bright said. “Iran has been the single most destabilizing country in the Middle East, and they are at their weakest point in decades. They absolutely should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapon capabilities. If President Trump decides now is the time to engage, I both fully trust and fully support his decision.”
Noveletsky reiterated the view of many Republicans that there is no interest in an invasion or “nation-building” in Iran.
“I do not support American soldiers going into Iran, and neither does President Trump. However, with Iran rebuffing all attempts at negotiation, action was deemed necessary by the president against the Iranian regime’s nuclear facilities to keep America and our allies safe,” Noveletsky said.
“I am thankful for President Trump showing clear and decisive leadership in this crucial moment,” Noveletsky added. “He is showing peace through strength on the world stage.”
The question now is whether New Hampshire Democrats will support efforts to condemn Trump’s strike on Iran.
Likely 2028 presidential candidate U.S Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a frequent Granite State visitor, and U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) have sponsored a War Powers resolution in the House, hoping to force Trump’s hand. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sponsored one in the Senate. Khanna said it was very important for Congress to vote on it to “signal that we don’t want further escalation with Iran.”
Meanwhile, New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for Trump’s impeachment.
While, as of press time, there have not been any polls released since the U.S. military decimated Iran’s nuclear program, CNN’s polling expert Harry Enten says the data leading up to the strikes showed most Americans shared Trump’s view.
“Polling on Iran depends on question wording,” Enten acknowledged. “But 79 percent of Democrats, independents, and Republicans were with Trump and opposed Iran getting nuclear arms.
“Further, when asked if Iran was working to get nuclear arms, 69 percent of Republicans favored U.S. airstrikes, and so did a plurality of all Americans.”
