Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) said on April 1 that while he supports the president’s recent military actions in Iran as consistent with legal authority, he will not back continued combat operations beyond the 60-day limit set by the War Powers Resolution without congressional approval.
Curtis argued that the ongoing situation with Iran highlights why constitutional checks on executive war powers are important. He said, “While recognizing the inevitable costs of ongoing combat operations in Iran, I acknowledge that the president’s actions were consistent with his legal authority.”
He explained that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 allows a president to respond quickly to threats but only for a limited period. Curtis described Iran’s history of hostile acts against Americans as justification for swift executive action, saying it is “an enduring pattern of deadly violence that warranted executive action.” However, he emphasized his position: “I will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval. I take this position for two reasons — one is historical, and one is constitutional.”
Curtis pointed to lessons from Vietnam and noted how prolonged conflict without congressional declaration led to significant loss of life. He stated, “To ensure that such a tragic cost was never again exacted from our nation’s best blood without a congressional declaration of war, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 effected a reasonable compromise.” He further stressed Congress’s role under the Constitution: “The Constitution assigns Congress the responsibility to ‘provide for the common defense,’ and in that context, it gives Congress the corresponding power to declare war.”
In addition to his legislative work on national security issues, Curtis has served as mayor of Provo for two terms and represents Utah in the Senate according to his official website. He founded the Conservative Climate Caucus and advocates for conservative environmental solutions while supporting small businesses and passing legislation on public land management and human trafficking according to his official website. The website also notes Curtis raises six children and seventeen grandchildren.
Curtis concluded by calling for cooperation between branches: “Supporting decisive action in the moment and insisting on constitutional accountability in the long term are not contradictions but a tension mandated by our founding documents. On matters of such dire national consequences, the president and Congress are supposed to work in concert. Let us ensure that they do.”
