Here’s what the Philly area’s congressional delegation is saying about the U.S. bombing of Iran
Several Pennsylvania and New Jersey Democrats said President Trump had acted unilaterally to escalate military operations against Iran after misleading the public. Republicans praised the operation.
Area Republicans in Congress praised President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb nuclear sites in Iran late Saturday, while Democrats largely criticized the move, saying that the president was dragging the country to war without congressional approval.
One exception was Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), who wrote on X that “this was the correct move,” adding that, as “the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” Iran “cannot have nuclear capabilities.”
Fetterman, one of Washington’s staunchest allies of Israel, spent the last week encouraging military action against Iran, at one point encouraging Israel to target the regime’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel struck Iranian military and nuclear sites in Iran on June 13, and Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel. Hundreds of people have been killed and 1,000 wounded in Iran; in Israel, two dozen people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) praised Trump’s entry into the war, blaming the strikes on Iran’s “failure to make a deal” around its nuclear program.
“This is an important step toward ensuring that the world’s largest state sponsor of terror never obtains a nuclear weapon,” he posted on X.
But several Pennsylvania and New Jersey Democrats said Trump had acted unilaterally to escalate military operations against Iran after misleading the public, ordering the bombing just two days after he said there was a “substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran and that he would wait two weeks to decide whether to strike.
“We have bombed a nation we are not at war with and have done so without Congress knowing about it, voting on it or approving it. President Trump’s actions are not only unconstitutional — they are dangerous," Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, who represents Chester County and was an Air Force officer, wrote on X.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, whose district includes all of Delaware County and parts of Montgomery County and South Philadelphia, said Trump had placed military members, the American public, and civilians in the Middle East at risk, with “no clear guarantee” that the attacks would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
At a World Refugee Day event at LOVE Park in Philadelphia on Sunday, Scanlon reiterated her criticism of the strikes.
“We have not heard any information about why there was such a need for imminent action as opposed to diplomacy,” she said. “That is where a lot of the angst is coming from. It’s a lot easier to start a war in the Middle East than it is to end one.”
Rep. Summer Lee, a Democrat who represents parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, called the attack illegal and Trump “a rogue president.”
On Bluesky, N.J. Sen. Andy Kim posted a long thread of questions for the Trump administration about the strikes, including whether Trump consulted allies beyond Israel and whether the administration has a plan to return to the negotiating table and avoid a broader regional war.
“The fact that we do not have answers to these questions ahead of these strikes shows why we needed Congressional authorization for military action as stated in the Constitution,” he wrote.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy officer who is the Democratic nominee for New Jersey governor, called Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons “a grave threat” but said Trump should have sought authorization from Congress before attacking.
“I urge all sides to return to the negotiating table, stop this conflict, and diplomatically ensure Iran will not be able to acquire a nuclear weapon,” she wrote on X.
Her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, praised the decision and said a nuclear-capable Iran would “be a grave threat to Israel and could further destabilize the Middle East.”
He joined other Pennsylvania and New Jersey Republicans who said Trump had acted decisively to prevent a terrorist-supporting state from achieving nuclear power.
“The world is now safer because of President Trump’s decisive action,” Rep. Scott Perry (R., Dauphin) wrote on X.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who represents much of southern New Jersey, called the strikes “necessary to protect our country and our people from the threat of nuclear war.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County, the only Republican representing Southeastern Pennsylvania in the House, said the strikes were “the right call” and stressed that “peace through strength is how we lead.”
Staff writers Max Marin and Julia Terruso contributed to this article, which also contains information from the Associated Press.