Members of Congress have begun speaking about the Trump Administration’s arguably unconstitutional, illegal war on Iran. Unsurprisingly, most Republicans support the operation. A number of Democrats are adding support as well, praising the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the opportunity to banish authoritarianism in favor of democracy.
“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” tweeted John Fetterman (D-Pa.), a staunch supporter of Israel. Fetterman said he was a “hard no” on a war powers vote and posted an image of the Ayatollah, adding “Let’s see who grieves for that garbage.”
Tom Suozzi (D-Ny.) tweeted, “I agree with the President’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities.” Henry Cuellar (D-Tx.) said the threat posed by Iran was “real and longstanding.”
Why is the Legislative branch of government so laissez faire about an unnecessary, unplanned and reckless war that will cost many U.S. lives? It’s no secret that the US has a longstanding, intimate relationship with Israel. It’s why the government has supported Israel’s warfare in Gaza, activity that the United Nations has characterized as genocide. It’s why thousands of people protesting the war in Gaza have been arrested during both the Biden and Trump presidencies.
The strongest link between the Legislative branch and Israel is AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel PAC in the U.S. In 2025, AIPAC received more than $31 million in donations from its six million wealthy, powerful members. The group spent more than $28 million on contributions during that time period.
According to Track AIPAC, only 17 sitting members of Congress have never accepted AIPAC or other donations from pro-Israel lobby groups. To put that into context, there are currently 432 sitting House members (three seats are vacant) and 100 Senators.
Cuellar is among the biggest recipients, accepting more than $3.2 million from AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups. Fetterman has received more than $1.8 million from pro-Israel groups, while Suozzi has accepted more than $1.9 million from AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups.
The top three AIPAC recipients in Congress are all Democrats. George Latimer (D-Ny.) has brought in more than $19 million while Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) received more than $12 million. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) accepted more than $7 million.
Israel wants a war on Iran and has been waiting many years for this opportunity. They have invested heavily in the U.S. Congress for decades to ensure nothing stands in their way.
To quote Jeffrey Epstein in a 2013 email to Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel, “hopefully somone suggests getting authorization now for Iran. the congress would do it.”