Before I had even graduated high school, I knew I wanted to devote my life to service. My parents escaped communist Vietnam with little more than a dream for a better life. Working towards that dream put clothes on our backs, food on our table, and an education that would help me thrive. It’s why I marched into a recruiter’s office when I was 18 to give back to the country that gave my family everything.
In 2003, when I was a senior in college, just months away from graduation, I was activated for Operations Noble Eagle / Enduring Freedom. I answered the call to action without hesitation alongside numerous service members. It was a great honor to don the uniform in defense of our country, but I never forgot the stakes. Every mission was a gamble taken not just by us, but by the families we left behind.
For over two decades, the American people have watched as forever wars have stolen the lives of their brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and their mothers and fathers. We’ve watched our tax dollars spent by the trillions – and still – the world seems to be getting more dangerous and uncertain by the day.
Iran is a terrorist nation-state and is a threat to democracies worldwide. There is no question that the current Iranian regime is evil. The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk. There is no question that the world would be a much safer place under a free and democratic Iran. I share in the hopes that the Iranian people can forge ahead toward this goal.
At the same time, unilateral strikes without the consent of Congress and the American people are the wrong way to neutralize the threat of the Iranian regime. Already, this Administration has presented ever-changing reasons, undetermined goals, and uncertain timelines for this conflict. By bypassing Congress and without a clear mission, this Administration has not only ignored constitutional law, but also sidelined the American people in a decision that puts the lives of our service members at immediate risk.
Six service brave members have already been lost. Their families are left picking up the pieces of a life without them. Our leaders have a duty to make every effort to prevent any further loss of life.
President Trump promised no more forever wars, but he breaks that promise at every chance he gets. His administration has admitted they have no clear plan to transition Iran to a free and democratic society. Their strategy seems to be “bomb now, and ask questions later.”
The House of Representatives exists so that the American people have their voices heard before our government takes such consequential action. There is no more solemn or consequential decision a government can make, nothing more deserving of thoughtful, public deliberation, than committing American lives to armed conflict.
Related Articles
New high-speed rail business plan offers a partial dose of honesty California’s taxpayer-backed pension systems invest in Bitcoin and crypto Breaking the tech bottleneck: Why AB 2053 is key to California’s tech future In-House Opinions: Local members of Congress on Iran war California’s lukewarm EV use should serve as a warning This administration’s failure to seek diplomatic resolution, combined with its failure to seek Congressional buy-in, is a recipe for catastrophe. Instead of a strategy to curb Iran’s nuclear proliferation, we are seeing a reckless policy of regime change that threatens to ignite a full-scale war with dangerous implications for generations to come.Congress is not a bystander in matters of war and peace; we are a coequal branch of government with the sole constitutional authority to declare war. We cannot, and will not, allow this country to be dragged into another unauthorized, forever war.
Through the protests in the streets of Iran and the tireless advocacy of the diaspora, the Iranian people’s desire for a secular democracy and rule of law is undeniable. History teaches us that freedom is not assured, and freedom at the barrel of a gun is not freedom at all. If America is to maintain our sacred role as the leader of the free world, we must support the people of Iran in charting their own future, instead of leaving them only to navigate the ruins of war.
Derek Tran represents California’s 45th congressional district.
Hence then, the article about derek tran congress cannot be a bystander to another forever war was published today ( ) and is available on The Orange County Register ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Derek Tran: Congress cannot be a bystander to another forever war )
Also on site :