Representative Val Hoyle of Oregon’s 4th congressional district, issued a statement Saturday night calling President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to join Israel in an ongoing string of attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities a “blatant violation of the Constitution.”

Trump announced on his social media platform, TruthSocial, that the U.S. had completed a “very successful attack” on three of Iran’s top nuclear sites. The strike, which reportedly used weapons exclusive to the United States, marked the latest escalation in a conflict that began last week when Israel struck Iranian nuclear infrastructure in an effort to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon.

In his post, the president called for peace but warned of further attacks if Iran failed to engage in diplomacy. Critics like Hoyle have widely described the action as an unauthorized act of war that bypassed Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war.

“This isn’t just about Congress, it’s about giving the American people a say in whether or not to send American troops into another foreign war,” Hoyle wrote in the statement.

Hoyle has previously been critical of presidential abuses of Congressional War Powers — she voted against the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act in 2023 and spoke out in 2024 about President Biden’s unilateral decision to launch strikes on Yemen.

Bipartisan criticism rang out Saturday night following the strikes including calls for impeachment. Oregon Senator Jeff Merekley wrote in a Facebook post: 

“Another Republican President has taken us into another Middle East war, despite Trump claiming to be a President who would choose peace. And has done so in violation of the Constitution — which requires Congressional authorization for war. All to accomplish a mission — disabling Iran’s nuclear program — that Netanyahu stated Israel can achieve without U.S. assistance. A wrong decision on all counts.” 

At a town hall Saturday, prior to Trump’s announcement, in Hood River, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said he was “very concerned,” about rising tensions in the Middle East.

Other lawmakers around the country supported the move as a necessary step to protect both American and Israeli safety and interests. 

Hoyle asserted in her statement that no president has the authority to bypass Congress in matters of war. Congress is expected to convene in the coming days as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demands a vote under the War Powers Act, which limits a president’s ability to take unilateral military action.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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