Members of Maine's congressional delegation were sharply divided this week over President Donald Trump's airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites, with some members expressing support and another calling the targeted bombings "reckless."
In a written statement over the weekend, Republican Sen. Susan Collins said the airstrikes were 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, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “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.”
Independent Sen. Angus King, who also serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee, was more reserved.
King called the strikes both "profoundly important and potentially dangerous" because they risked involving the U.S. in another war in the Middle East. King also suggested that Trump should have at least consulted with key leaders in Congress — including the leaders of the national security committees — in order to hear insights outside of his close advisors.
"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," King said in a statement. "But with either result, 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.”
But Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree went much further, saying that the president recklessly exceeded his constitutional authority and did so without demonstrating an imminent threat the American people. Speaking Monday after Iran targeted U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, Pingree said the airstrikes put U.S. service personnel at risk.
"I'm still deeply concerned about the actions the president took," Pingree said Monday afternoon from Washington. "Clearly our soldiers and sailors are still in harm's way. While the initial attacks (on U.S. bases) look like no one has been injured, there is still plenty of reason to be concerned. Iran has made it clear that it is planning to retaliate. There is a lot of worry about the energy situation if they interfere with the Strait of Hormuz."
Pingree also said that she would support a resolution in the House opposing a war with Iran unless authorized by Congress. The 1st District Democrat said she has opposed presidents of both parties sending military forces into foreign conflicts without authorization from Congress.
"It's unconstitutional to have an active war if you haven't consulted Congress," Pingree said. "We'll have a War Powers Act that's bipartisan, hopefully that will come to the floor this week."
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California introduced the non-binding resolution last week, before President Trump ordered airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. It is unclear, however, whether that resolution or a similar one in the Senate will receive votes in the Republican-controlled chambers.
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine's Second Congressional District, expressed support for Trump's airstrikes against Iran.
"Iran is governed by a regime that is hostile to the United States and allied with others that seek the destruction of America," Golden said in a statement. "They sponsor terrorist organizations that have killed American troops and citizens and are a source of chaos and bloodshed in the region. The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) determined the regime had been dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons. Based on what I know so far, I believe the president was right to launch limited strikes to deter that outcome."
But Golden, a Marine Corps veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said the administration must share more details about the reasons behind the airstrikes and whether Iran's nuclear weapons program has, indeed, been destroyed.
