Tell Congress- Pass the War Powers Resolution to Prevent War with Iran

WPSR Statement on the Iran Crisis

The rapidly escalating crisis between the US and Iran could well lead to a widespread and full-throttle military conflict, with implications that are staggering to consider. The current administration’s decision to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal last year has led to these disastrous consequences. As physicians, we express our grave concern about the potential escalation to the use of nuclear weapons with the level of aggressive rhetoric and tension currently displayed between the actors involved.

We therefore propose the following:

First, Congress must act immediately to pass legislation preventing unilateral action by the President to engage in a war with Iran.  According to the Washington Post, “Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that “the House will vote on a war powers resolution this week to limit President Trump’s military actions against Iran, warning that his order last week for a lethal strike against a top Iranian commander risked a serious escalation of tensions in the Middle East.” The  War Powers Resolution To Prevent War With Iran (introduced in the Senate by Senator Tim Kaine as SJ Res 63 and in the House by Representative Elissa Slotkin) would prohibit the President from continuing hostilities against Iran. This must be an absolute priority for Congress, given the rapidly deteriorating situation and the unbridled threats from this unconstrained president. Contact your Congressional Representative today to tell them to vote for the Kaine/Slotkin War Powers Resolution THIS WEEK.
 

Second, we urge Congress to revisit and pass the Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019 which would disallow the Trump administration from spending money for a war with Iran.
 

The above steps must be taken to facilitate our third goal: to preserve the Iran nuclear agreement. If the US attacks Iran, the Iranian leadership has promised it will completely free itself from the terms of the deal. This deal was one of the most important agreements ever concluded to prevent nuclear proliferation in the region. The agreement, with unprecedented international verification, stopped Iran’s production of fissile materials for 15 years, exported their nuclear stockpiles and lifted crippling economic sanctions.
 

While the agreement is now on life-support, the New York Times reported on January 5 that “Iran will continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and return to the nuclear limits if the economic sanctions imposed on it are removed and Iran’s interests are guaranteed,” the Iran government said.
 

The recent, dangerous escalation of US-Iran tensions, makes diplomacy far more difficult and jeopardizing opportunities for global cooperation to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons. Any opportunity to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran therefore depends on immediate de-escalation of the current crisis, and demands immediate action by Congress to contain the President on his dangerous path to war.
 

We call on all members of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and Coalition Partners to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to vote for the Slotkins/Kaine War Powers Resolution To Prevent War With Iran and to join millions of people across the world to mobilize calling to:

 

Cease Hostilities and No War With Iran

Reinstate the Iran Nuclear Deal

No New Nuclear Arms Race