Hawaii’s congressional delegation continued Monday to condemn the U.S.-
Israel military strikes on Iran, calling them unauthorized and avoidable while the Hawaii Republican Party voiced full support for
President Donald Trump’s actions.
“This is a war of choice,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said on the Senate floor. “It did not have to happen. There was no imminent threat from Iran.
“The American people — left, right and center — do not want another regime change war in the Middle East,” Schatz said, adding that Congress has a duty to debate and vote before authorizing prolonged military force.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda criticized the president’s unilateral military action and urged Congress to reassert its constitutional authority.
“When we go back this week, we’ll be voting on the War Powers Resolution,” she said, calling on lawmakers to “rein in this president.”
The comments on Monday reflected concerns within Hawaii’s congressional delegation about Trump’s failure to seek approval from Congress before launching the country into war.
But the Hawaii Republican Party released a statement on Saturday standing “firmly in support of decisive action to confront the dangerous Iranian regime.”
“For years, Iran’s leaders have funded and directed terrorist proxies that target American forces, including direct threats to U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East,” the party said.
It emphasized Hawaii’s role in U.S. defense and noted the presence of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and military families on the islands.
“Our sons and daughters serve in every theater,” the party said. “Attacks on American troops are personal to us.”
The party expressed full support for Trump’s actions, saying the United States has “both the right and obligation to respond with strength and clarity.”
But U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Ed Case called on Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities.
“The President’s unilateral decision to strike Iran for purposes of regime change is a clear violation of the Constitution, which gives Congress, not the President, the sole power to declare war,” Hirono said in a statement on Saturday.
Case echoed that the lack of an imminent threat from Iran required Trump to seek Congressional approval for attacking Iran.
“As there has been no demonstration of an imminent threat to our country, this action is not authorized and that cannot be ignored,” Case said in a statement also released on Saturday.
Tokuda spoke Monday
at the headquarters of
Hawaii’s largest union, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which endorsed her bid for reelection, citing her efforts on
behalf of working families and pushing back against Trump administration
policies.
HGEA said “vital public services” are under assault by a “lawless federal administration,” warning that proposed federal cuts could force states to consider layoffs and reductions in essential programs.
Randy Perreira, HGEA
executive director, said the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections extend beyond party politics and directly affect workers’ livelihoods and civil rights.
“Everything is at stake
in this election: Our jobs, health care, retirement security and even our most basic civil rights,” Perreira said. “Words are easy — there will always be politicians who tell you what you want to hear. That’s not Jill.”
Perreira said Tokuda has been “on the front lines” for working families and framed the endorsement as a response to what he described as efforts by “anti-union extremists” in Congress to cut funding for health care and safety net programs.
Hawaii voters will decide the winners of the Aug. 8 party primaries, followed by the Nov. 3 general election. Although Trump’s name won’t be on the ballot across the country, the general election results are anticipated to serve as a referendum on his policies.
Tokuda, who represents the neighbor islands and
rural Oahu, thanked the union and emphasized the broader political moment as she prepared to return to Washington for a possible vote this week on the War Powers Resolution addressing U.S. military strikes on Iran.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the support from the working men and women of HGEA,” Tokuda said. “This election is crucial to protecting our local values from the assault of our rights and provide opportunities for our working families to not just survive, but to thrive.”
