Schumer, Sen. Dems Demand Hearings on Iran Strikes

Senate Democrats on Tuesday called for hearings on the U.S. military operation in Iran, claiming the Trump administration has provided "no clear objectives" without congressional authorization and "denied Congress and the American people a clearly articulated end game."

In a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, demanded that Cabinet secretaries, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, to "immediately appear under oath in public hearings to answer the questions the American people have about the goals, scope, and end game for this war."

Shaheen is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Reed is the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.

Administration officials have said congressional leaders have been briefed on the military operation through classified channels since the strikes began, including members of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight," the group of top House and Senate leaders and intelligence committee chairs who typically receive the government's most sensitive national security briefings.

The group includes Schumer, placing the Senate Democrat leader among those receiving classified updates on the conflict.

"Public hearings would be a small but important first step to uphold your oath, to inform Congress, and to explain your actions to the American people whose sons and daughters are on the front lines of this war," the lawmakers wrote.

Trump and senior administration officials, however, have repeatedly outlined the campaign's objectives since U.S. strikes began Feb. 28.

Those objectives include destroying Iran's nuclear program, crippling its ballistic missile capabilities, and degrading the regime's ability to threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region.

Trump has also said Iran must permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorist proxy groups, most recently demanding what he called the regime's "unconditional surrender."

The lawmakers argued the administration's goals have shifted in recent days, citing statements about encouraging Iranians to rise up against the regime, conducting limited strikes on military targets, and demanding the regime's unconditional surrender.

But those statements largely reflect different aspects of the administration's broader strategy of weakening Iran's military capabilities while pressuring the regime to end its nuclear ambitions and regional aggression.

"Despite your own admission that you controlled the timing for when the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, your administration failed to prepare for the predictable risks that U.S. military action would create for our personnel and assets abroad," the lawmakers wrote.

"As a result, thousands of Americans have been stranded overseas as drones and missiles strike hotels and airports.

"Diplomatic facilities have been damaged, and, tragically, American service members have lost their lives.

"At the same time, because of this conflict American families are now grappling with skyrocketing gas and energy prices at a moment when they're already facing a national affordability crisis.

"The mounting cost of this war requires answers to Congress and the public."

The call for hearings underscores a broader dispute between the White House and congressional Democrats over the scope of presidential authority during military conflicts.

Although lawmakers have pressed for public testimony from senior officials about the operation and its potential duration, the Trump administration has maintained that the strikes are necessary to eliminate immediate threats posed by Iran and to protect U.S. personnel and allies in the region.

Presidents from both parties have historically relied on their authority as commander in chief to order military strikes without a formal declaration of war from Congress.

Similar disputes over the War Powers Resolution arose during U.S. military operations in Kosovo in 1999 and Libya in 2011, when lawmakers questioned whether the White House had sufficiently consulted Congress before initiating hostilities.

Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.