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Mass. congressional delegation pushing President Trump for details on Soleimani killing

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday afternoon using the social media platform to tell Congress about his intent to strike back if Iran were to retaliate. The local congressional delegation from Massachusetts is making it clear that their priority when they return to Washington D.C. this week will be preventing war.

“We have a huge risk here that there could be a huge war which breaks out and that the United States will be in the middle of it,” said Sen. Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts.

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The Massachusetts congressional delegation of democrats is continuing to push President Trump for more information on the airstrike that killed Iran’s top general.

“This decision puts us, if not already, in a hot war with Iran [or] certainly on the precipice of one,” said Rep. Joe Kennedy (D) of Massachusetts’ 4th District. “And to do so without any explanation is I think illegal.”

The president said that the attack was because of an imminent threat, issuing the following tweet Sunday afternoon:

Democrats agree that that General Qassem Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans; Representative Joe Kennedy called him evil. But both Kennedy and the other Massachusetts democrats in Congress say his killing will escalate attacks and result in the deaths of many more.

“Given the consequences that we know are going to come from this, the fact that leadership before have, when given the opportunity, to conduct such a strike have opted not to because of that reason,” Kennedy said.

Senator Markey, who is on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the president’s tweets are not enough to legally declare war.

“Now it will be the job of the Senate to make sure that no war begins unkennless there is explicit permission by the United States Senate,” Markey said.

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The constitution does give Congress the sole power to declare war, but it’s not the only way to allow military action. The last time Congress officially declared war was World War II. Since then, Congress has mostly been involved with military action through appropriations and some resolutions authorizing military force.