Sen. Ernst to Newsmax: War Powers Resolution 'Unfounded'

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Newsmax on Thursday she voted against a Senate war powers resolution targeting the president's actions against Iran, calling the measure "unfounded."

During an appearance on Newsmax's "National Report," Ernst said the president has clear constitutional authority as commander in chief to act to protect American citizens.

"The Democrats are simply trying to slow down the work that Senate Republicans are doing on the floor of the Senate," she said.

Ernst argued the resolution ignores the president's responsibility to respond to threats from Iran and its network of terrorist proxies.

"This resolution, it is unfounded," she said. "We know that the president has the constitutional authority as commander in chief to protect American citizens."

Ernst said the current military operations do not involve U.S. ground troops entering Iran.

"That is what he is doing with this current conflict and operational strikes," she said.

Instead, Ernst said the U.S. response has been carried out through targeted strikes from the air and sea.

"So, we don't see ground forces going into Iran," she said. "We do see strikes coming from the sea and the air."

Those actions are intended to counter Iran's support for terrorist proxy groups and its pursuit of nuclear weapons, Ernst added.

"This is done to protect us from the funding that goes into these terrorist proxies," she said, as well as "the nuclear arms development of Iran."

Ernst also pointed to Iran's long history of hostility toward the United States.

"What we have seen over the course of decades now is bad behavior on the part of the Iranians coming after Americans," she said.

Ernst noted Iran has targeted both American civilians abroad and U.S. service members stationed in the region.

She also referenced alleged assassination plots against former U.S. officials.

"We have seen active assassination planning and attempts on our former administration officials," Ernst said.

The Iowa Republican said the president faced a critical choice as Iran advanced its nuclear ambitions.

"Do we continue to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons capable of striking the United States of America and harming our citizens, or do we put an end to it?" Ernst said.

She said the administration first attempted diplomacy before resorting to military action.

"The president made the right choice by bringing the Iranians to the negotiating table," Ernst said.

"But when those negotiations failed, he did absolutely the right thing," she added. "He had drawn the line and he stuck to it."

Ernst said the response has drawn support from some in the region who view Iran as a destabilizing force.

"We see our Arab friends, neighbors to Iran in that region, that are saying, ‘Keep going, keep going, keep going,'" she said. "‘Do not stop until Iran is brought to their knees.'"

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