SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT’S FAILURE TO DEFINE AN ENDGAME IN IRAN

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-founder and co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Trump's address to the nation on the war in Iran:

“Five weeks after starting his war against Iran, President Trump finally addressed the American people to explain the timing of the attack and his end goals. Though he repeatedly stated his commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, his speech offered neither certainty nor clarity regarding his strategy. Gone was any word of sympathy or encouragement for the Iranian people to free themselves from the oppressive regime. Most significantly, the President did not define how he will set the region on a path to stability and peace.

“Even though Iran's regime is still intact, its nuclear program is still in place, and its missiles remain a threat to our allies, particularly the UAE and Israel, President Trump is talking about walking away from the chaos of the war he started.

“Last Congress, I passed a resolution with Foreign Affairs Committee Chair McCaul declaring it U.S. policy that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Tragically, President Trump's war has only strengthened Iran's commitment to building one, while doing little to actually prevent it from doing so. Instead of removing Iran's 60% enriched uranium, the President is leaving it buried beneath damaged facilities, with only an open-ended threat of more missiles as his answer.

“The President took our nation to war without seeking congressional authorization, in violation of our Constitution, and has still not comprehensively informed Congress about the strategy and progress on each of these fronts—nuclear, missile, proxy, the Strait, and the future of the Iranian people. Congress must hold hearings, debate, and vote on the path forward.

“We must not leave Iran able to manufacture and launch missiles at will, capable and more committed to getting nuclear weapons, and with continued control over the Strait of Hormuz. The path to ending this war requires working together with our allies, using both good faith negotiations and the threat of shared military might.

“Lastly, we keep the men and women serving in our military in our hearts. They have executed their assigned missions with remarkable precision and effect. Thirteen brave souls have made the ultimate sacrifice, and hundreds more have been wounded. We pray that our servicemembers continue to be successful and return home safely.”

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