Chauna Banks

Thank you for reaching out and for giving me an opportunity to address this important issue. My concern regarding U.S. military involvement in Iran extends beyond the question of whether America should or should not engage militarily. I believe the larger issue involves the constitutional balance of power between Congress and the President when our nation enters hostilities. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, while the President serves as Commander in Chief. The War Powers Resolution was intended to provide a framework for those responsibilities when U.S. Armed Forces are introduced into hostilities. Recent congressional resolutions concerning Iran have raised that fundamental question directly: under what circumstances may a President commit American forces to sustained hostilities without specific authorization from Congress? I believe Congress must take its constitutional responsibility seriously. Decisions involving war and peace should not become simply another partisan contest between Congress and the White House. They involve American lives, our national security, our allies, our military personnel and their families, and potentially generations of consequences. At the same time, I would not responsibly tell the people of Louisiana today how I would vote on a future War Powers Resolution without knowing the circumstances existing at the time, the precise language of the resolution, the nature and scope of U.S. military involvement, the threat to the United States and our allies, and the intelligence and legal assessments available to Congress. When I get to Washington, I intend to ask the hard questions, attend the classified briefings available to Members of Congress, examine the intelligence, listen to our military and diplomatic leadership, and carefully review the constitutional and statutory authorities involved before casting such a consequential vote. So, 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. Sincerely, Chauna Banks Candidate for U.S. Congress, Louisiana's 6th Congressional District