February 28th, 2026Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico federal lawmakers united in condemning Iran strikes

New Mexico's all-Democratic congressional delegation was united Saturday in condemning President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran, accusing him of putting Americans at risk and illegally bypassing Congress.
“President Trump promised to end wars, not start them," U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich said in a statement. "Now he has put American servicemembers and an untold number of civilians in harm’s way. And he has done it without strategy or a clear definition of success."
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said "Trump has proven, once again, that he can’t focus on what Americans need — which is to lower costs."
"Remember, Trump blew up the agreement that limited Iran’s ability to get nuclear weapons and claimed he 'obliterated' Iran’s nuclear facilities last June," Leger Fernández continued. "This is his third Iranian debacle without the support of Congress or the American people."
The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday. Tensions have soared in recent weeks as American warships moved into the region and as Trump said he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program at a moment when the country is struggling at home following nationwide protests.
Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would Trump's attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict. Congressional Republicans, who have slim majorities in both chambers, have largely stood by the president.
In statements, New Mexico's senators and representatives condemned the Iranian government while opposing being "dragged into another war by this President," as Sen. Ben Ray Luján put it.
“I stand with the Iranian people who seek freedom from an oppressive regime, and we must remain clear-eyed that Iran should never be allowed to build and deploy a nuclear weapon," said Rep. Gabe Vasquez. "But this Administration’s unilateral military escalation doesn’t just risk the lives of our service members and a wider regional conflict — it also violates our Constitution, which grants the power to declare war to Congress, not any one President."
Luján said Trump has "repeatedly lied to and defied the American people by launching unauthorized, illegal military attacks" and faulted congressional Republicans, who he said have "blocked Congress from upholding its constitutional role and have denied the American people answers about President Trump’s illegal military actions."
“The terror the Iranian regime has inflicted across the Middle East has been a destabilizing force for decades," Luján said. "But we must also be clear-eyed about the consequences of needless escalation."
Rep. Melanie Stansbury called the strikes illegal and said they endangered both regional stability and American servicemembers.
"The American people have been clear they don’t want another war in the Middle East — they want healthcare, affordable housing, and care for our communities," she said. "Congress must act now to stop this war before it escalates."