 "US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, after the US military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. AP")
The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for both Senate and House members, as lawmakers continue to seek further information regarding President Donald Trump’s recent directive to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, as well as his announcement on Monday that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the two countries.
Both briefings were cancelled. The Senate session has been rescheduled for Thursday to allow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to participate, according to several individuals familiar with the revised schedule, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions. It remains unclear when the House will receive its briefing.
Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an “Official END” of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was “in effect!”
Separate briefings for the House and Senate were scheduled to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, alongside General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Secretaries of State Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.
Members of Congress from both parties, including Democrats and some Republicans, have raised numerous questions regarding President Trump’s decision to initiate military action without prior consultation. They have argued that the president should have either sought congressional approval or provided a more detailed justification for the strikes.
According to two individuals familiar with the intelligence shared with lawmakers, Congress has not been presented with any new intelligence since March, when Gabbard informed them that the United States did not believe Iran was actively developing a new nuclear weapon. These individuals requested anonymity in order to speak about the classified briefings provided to Congress.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said it is “outrageous” that the administration postponed the briefings.
“There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Schumer said. “What are they afraid of? Why won’t they engage Congress in the critical details?”
California Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic caucus, said that lawmakers “need evidence, we need details and we need to know them now.”
Many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally — disagreements that don’t always fall along party lines.
Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president’s strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it.
Some of Trump’s strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats who oppose intervention, echoing the president’s years of arguments against “forever wars.” But most Republicans enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying Trump should have the power to act on his own.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were “clearly” within Trump’s powers and went as far as to question the constitutionality of the War Powers Act, which is intended to give Congress a say in military action.
“The bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the president, and the person empowered to act on the nation’s behalf is the president,” Johnson told reporters.
After Trump first announced a ceasefire between the two countries on Monday, Republicans immediately praised him. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: “Historic! The President of Peace!”
But Democrats said they wanted more information. After Iran’s retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar earlier in the day on Monday, Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing “laying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran’s retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.”
Senate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran.
“You have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,” Kaine said.
While he did not seek approval, Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell.
Trump said the attacks were “limited in scope and purpose” and “designed to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.”