Members of San Diego’s congressional delegation issued statements as the U.S. House prepared to vote on a war powers resolution related to military action in Iran.
The measure, introduced under the federal War Powers Act, would require the president to obtain congressional authorization before continuing certain military operations against Iran.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war, while the president serves as commander in chief of the armed forces. The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities and limits military engagement to 60 days without congressional approval.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, who is a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Policy committees, told constituents in an email that the current operation is “illegal and unauthorized by Congress.”
“The Constitution is unequivocal: No president can unilaterally start a war,” Jacobs wrote. “The founders required not only congressional authorization through a vote, but a public debate on the merits of war in front of the American people.”
Jacobs said she plans to vote in favor of the resolution.
“Our service members deserve a debate and a vote before they’re sent into harm’s way,” she wrote.
In a separate post on X, Jacobs criticized the administration’s justification for the operation and referenced comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“This is an unnecessary war of choice,” she wrote, adding that there was “no imminent threat to the United States” and accusing President Donald Trump of putting American lives at risk.
Rep. Juan Vargas posted on X Sunday that he was mourning the loss of U.S. service members and called on the administration to brief Congress.
“The Administration needs to immediately provide Congress with a full briefing on this operation and long-term strategy,” Vargas wrote. “I will continue to pray for our troops who are in harm’s way and for a true and lasting peace in the region.”
Another San Diego Democrat, Rep. Scott Peters, expressed his desire for legislative checks.
“San Diego is a military community, and we mourn the loss of every servicemember who makes the ultimate sacrifice,” Peters wrote on X Monday. “If we’re going to continue to send our troops into harm’s way, the President must come to Congress. Dragging us further into this war without an endgame or plan is unwise and dangerous.”
Rep. Mike Levin, whose district straddles North County and southern Orange County, referenced the service members stationed at Camp Pendleton.
“Representing the Marines and Sailors on Camp Pendleton is one of the greatest honors and responsibilities I have as a member of Congress,” Levin wrote, adding, “no one should speak this way about people who sacrificed everything for their country.”
Levin was responding to Trump’s recent comment that more U.S. troops would likely be killed in the Iran conflict, saying, “that’s the way it is.”
In a separate post Monday, Levin shared an article raising questions about trades placed on the prediction market platform Polymarket shortly before news of the U.S. strikes became public, calling for an investigation into whether advance knowledge of military action was used for financial gain. He also noted that Donald Trump Jr. has a financial stake in the platform and serves on its advisory board.
“The American people deserve to know if advance knowledge of military action is being used for financial gain,” Levin wrote. “Congress must investigate this.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, reposted a message from Rapid Response 47 on X Monday amplifying comments by Army veteran and U.S. Secretary of War (formerly Secretary of Defense) Pete Hegseth that praised President Trump’s stance on confronting Iran’s leadership, saying “crazy regimes like Iran, hellbent on prophetic Islamist delusions cannot have nuclear weapons…many have said it, but it takes guts to actually enforce it – and our president has guts.”
The House vote on the war powers resolution is expected this week. If approved, the measure would direct the president to end U.S. military involvement in Iran absent explicit authorization from Congress, but passage into law is far from certain.
