As the world waits to see the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb three of Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday, Maine’s congressional delegation provided varying reactions to the strikes.
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Reactions ranged from condemnation of the strikes by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) to strong support from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), with a more nuanced response from Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). Rep. Golden did not comment until late on Monday in a statement that reads as generally supportive of the Trump administration’s action.
Rep. Pingree accused President Trump of violating the Constitution by bombing Iran without congressional approval and warned that the strikes endanger U.S. troops in the Middle East, who could be the target of retaliatory strikes from Iran.
“The President’s decision to bomb Iran without the authorization of Congress is reckless, unconstitutional, and puts countless lives at risk—including U.S. troops currently stationed in the Middle East,” asserted Pingree.
“No President has the authority to launch a military attack against any country without Congressional authorization—especially when there’s no imminent threat to the American people. This is unconstitutional,” she added.
She also called on Congress to act on Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) War Powers Resolution, which would prohibit Trump from entering into a war with Iran without congressional approval.
“It is imperative that Congress convene as soon as possible to address this crisis, to vote on the bipartisan War Powers Act introduced last week, and to make clear to the President that the United States must not be dragged into another war in the Middle East,” she said.
Though the Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, that has not been the practice of the U.S. for decades. Congress has not issued a formal war declaration since World War II, though the U.S. has fought numerous wars since then.
Senator Collins took the opposite approach in her statement, praising Trump for striking Iran, which she believes was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and thereby sparking a much larger war.
“The precision strike that the President ordered was a necessary response to Iran’s aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons. This limited and decisive action is far preferable to the much broader conflict that would be all but inevitable if Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons,” said Collins.
“A nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to our ally Israel. Ultimately, as Iran continues to develop the capacity of its ballistic missiles, our country is also in danger,” she added.
Sen. King issued a lengthy statement, calling the bombing “important” but “potentially dangerous” and expressing support for an end to Iran’s nuclear program while questioning the lack of congressional involvement in the decision.
“The president has taken a profoundly important — and potentially dangerous — step in ordering the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities and thus risking U.S. involvement in another debilitating war in the Middle East,” said King.
“The results of these strikes may turn out to be successful — the end of Iran’s nuclear program and its aggression in the region — but the risks are no less real — that Iran may have nuclear facilities we don’t know about and conclude that they have no choice but to race to a bomb,” he added.
He argued that Trump should have consulted Congress to inform them of his decision, even if he did not attempt to call for an official declaration of war.
“Clearly, the president must have the power to act in national self-defense or when faced with an imminent threat to our national interest, but respect for the Constitution and the common sense policy it embodies should require some level of consultation with Congress if at all possible,” said King.
“In this case, there was a process available on virtually a moment’s notice, albeit short of full Congressional action on a declaration of war or authorization of the use of military force. This process, well established in urgent circumstances, is to notify congressional leadership and the leadership of the national security committees,” he added.
King did not argue that Congress should have had the authority to veto the strikes, but he does believe that Congress should have had an opportunity to express its concerns over the strikes.
“The question remains whether this decision was made in such a way as to protect our country while at the same time minimizing the risk of a war no one wants,” said King.
King has notably expressed support for the Trump Administration’s unilateral strikes on the Houthi terrorists in Yemen, calling that operation a success. He has also been one of Congress’s most outspoken supporters of U.S. military aid for Ukraine.
The Maine Wire reached out to Rep. Jared Golden (D-CD2) via email and phone calls to his office, as he had not issued a statement on the strikes, asking for his reaction. Four hours after the original version of this article, he released the following comment on X:
In other words, after long deliberation, Rep. Golden, the ex-Marine combat veteran came down with a position closer to that of his former employer, Sen. Collins, and the Trump administration than to his outraged fellow Democrat, Rep. Pingree.
Former Gov. Paul LePage, who is running as a Republican to unseat Golden from Maine’s Second Congressional District seat, issue a statement on the strikes on Sunday.
Golden’s opponent expressed support for the strikes, along with hope that they do not spark a wider war.
“We must ensure Iran, a regime which supports chants of death to America and death to Israel, does not hold a nuclear bomb. Our brave men and women in uniform, under the strong direction of President Trump, have carried out a mission to help reduce that threat and protect our nation along with our ally Israel,” LePage said.
“It is my sincere hope that this swift and decisive action protects America’s interests, avoids prolonged military involvement and results in peaceful diplomacy. We’ve lost too many lives to forever wars in the Middle East,” he added.
