Today, Mac Deford, Democratic candidate for Congress in South Carolina’s First Congressional District, released the following statement blasting the Trump Administration’s interim agreement with Iran.
“Let’s be clear about what has happened here: the Trump Administration dragged the United States into an unauthorized war with no clear objective, no legitimate explanation to the American people, and no approval from Congress. Now, after months of conflict, the United States is not in a stronger position than before this war began.
“This agreement does not look like strength. It looks like a cleanup operation for a reckless war that never should have happened in the first place.
“Furthermore, this agreement contemplates Iran receiving access to a $300 billion reconstruction and development fund, sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets, and the lifting of pressure that had been built up over time. In exchange, the United States appears to receive temporary and contingent promises: a 60-day pause, commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and future negotiations over the hardest issues that should have been resolved before any deal was signed.
“The administration is once again proving that it has no coherent strategy for this matter.
“From the beginning, I have been staunchly opposed to this war. The Constitution gives Congress, not one man in the White House, the power to authorize war. The administration never clearly articulated the objective, never justified the legal basis, and never explained how this would leave America safer or stronger. Now we are seeing the result: American credibility weakened, our leverage reduced, and Iran positioned to walk away with enormous economic relief while the United States is left hoping the next round of negotiations produces what this agreement failed to secure.
“The American people deserve better than unauthorized wars followed by weak, temporary deals. They deserve leaders who understand that strength is not measured by how quickly you launch missiles, but by whether you have a clear mission, lawful authority, and a plan to secure America’s interests.
“In Congress, I will fight to restore Congress’s constitutional war powers, demand accountability from any administration that sends Americans into conflict without authorization, and oppose reckless foreign policy that leaves our country weaker, less secure, and less trusted around the world.”