John Vincent calls the Iran war unconstitutional and pledges to invoke the War Powers Resolution
Democratic candidate for U.S. House in South Carolina's 7th district, in an emailed statement
“As the first Command Master Chief and the first enlisted submariner to ever be a nominee for federal office, I have, by definition, a unique view. The war must end; it was unconstitutional from day one.”
Read the full email
What action would you take in Congress? If a war powers resolution directing the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran came before the House, would you vote for it? As the first Command Master Chief and the first enlisted submariner to ever be a nominee for federal office, I have, by definition, a unique view. The war must end; it was unconstitutional from day one. The President used the word "war" to describe military actions on day one. Presidents wage war; they do not declare war. Immediately after taking office, I will move to invoke the war powers resolution. Since the tail end of my service, we began shifting to a much more cavalier attitude towards using military force. 1- Unless it is a clear, imminent threat to America, NO WAR 2-Unless we are willing to go all in, including boots on the ground, NO WAR 3-NO WAR unless it is approved by Americans through Congress. We may quote your response in an upcoming Dispute Index piece on the Iran war.
Source and context
Emailed statement
Emailed statement from John Vincent to Dispute Index on an Iran war powers vote
What action would you take in Congress? If a war powers resolution directing the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran came before the House, would you vote for it? As the first Command Master Chief and the first enlisted submariner to ever be a nominee for federal office, I have, by definition, a unique view. The war must end; it was unconstitutional from day one. The President used the word "war" to describe military actions on day one. Presidents wage war; they do not declare war. Immediately after taking office, I will move to invoke the war powers resolution. Since the tail end of my service, we began shifting to a much more cavalier attitude towards using military force. 1- Unless it is a clear, imminent threat to America, NO WAR 2-Unless we are willing to go all in, including boots on the ground, NO WAR 3-NO WAR unless it is approved by Americans through Congress. We may quote your response in an upcoming Dispute Index piece on the Iran war.
About this source
Emailed reply from congressional candidate John Vincent (SC-7), a retired Navy Command Master Chief, to a Dispute Index question about U.S. military involvement in Iran. He said the war is unconstitutional and he would move to invoke the War Powers Resolution if elected, saying he would vote for such a resolution.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Dispute Index asked Vincent on September 28 whether he would vote for a War Powers Resolution directing the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran.
After the quotation
Dispute Index has not yet located a comparable statement from another candidate in South Carolina's 7th district.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Do they support the war in Iran?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case tracks support for continued U.S. military operations against Iran. Vincent calls the war unconstitutional and says he would vote for a War Powers Resolution to end it, so we labeled it Condemned.
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Do they support the war in Iran?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“At the present time, I would vote for a war powers resolution to remove forces from Iran”Read statement
“At this time, I am not committing to a definitive yes or no vote on a hypothetical future resolution. I am committing to something I believe the people I represent deserve: an informed, independent decision based on the Constitution, the facts before Congress, America's national security interests, and the lives that could be affected by that decision.”Read statement
“My position is that a member of the House of Representatives should make decisions with their constituents, not for them. Before making a decision on military involvement or voting on a war powers resolution, I believe it is essential to hold town halls and review constituent feedback surveys.”Read statement