Senators are particularly concerned about the $300 billion fund for Iranian reconstruction as Congress asks if war was worth it

Summary

The question hangs in the halls at the Capitol: Was it worth it? Congress, which never authorized the war against Iran yet never fully objected to it, now must grapple with the consequences of President Donald Trump’s nearly four-month conflict: the lives lost, the billions spent and the national security fallout that has reordered the political dynamics in the Middle East. Ask senators what they think about the deal Trump struck to end the war , and they do not search too far for words. “Pathetic. Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “How many ways, can I say, bad, bad, bad?” Yet Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a past chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said that because of the president’s actions, “We are safer today.” “You can criticize — Oh, he didn’t totally win,” Johnson said. “Well, that was always going to be very difficult.” As Trump moves on to the next phase, it is left to the Congress to pick up the pieces: explaining the war to voters back home, restocking the military arsenal that has run low from bombing runs and trying to ensure the fragile ceasefire holds as the United States seeks to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and work toward an uneasy peace. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees. “I commend him for that. Over and again Congress tried and failed to exert its authority under the war powers act to halt the U.S. military action in Iran. The Senate has voted nine times, including this past week , but failed to reach the majority needed. At the same time, Congress did not affirmatively authorize the war with a use of force resolution, as has been done in certain other conflicts, including the Iraq War. “I’m glad that the conflict has finally ended and hope the ceasefire holds,” said a statement from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.