Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean of Glenside responded to President Donald Trump’s authorization of military action in Iran and the United States’ decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.

Last week, Glenside Local reported that 1967 Cheltenham High graduate Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, had launched so-called “Operation Rising Lion” on Friday, June 13. Netanyahu said the military operation had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program … to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”

According to NBC News, the United States’ strike, dubbed “Iran Operation Midnight Hammer”, involved more than 125 U.S. military aircraft. According to CNN, Israel launched a new wave of attacks which hit Iran’s Evin prison earlier today.

According to The Hill, Pakistan condemned the strikes one day after Islamabad announced it had nominated President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation of a ceasefire between Pakistan and India last month.

Governor Shapiro noted that “there is no threat” to Pennsylvanians as a result of the bombing and urged officials to “end these hostilities. Bringing home these hostages is key to that” at the Pocono Raceway today, according to ABC27.

Dean called the decision a “perilous gamble that threatens the safety of tens of thousands of Americans and risks entangling our country in another prolonged conflict in the Middle East.”

Shapiro’s full comment is below:

Look, let me say, I’m the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Austin Davis is the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our job every single day is to ensure the safety and well-being of the good people of Pennsylvania.

The first thing I want to say to the people of Pennsylvania is our security team, our State Police, homeland security and others, we’ve been in dialogue with one another to make sure that there is no threat to the Commonwealth as a result of what happened overseas. There is no threat. The people of Pennsylvania are safe and we’re going to remain vigilant in our work here to to keep the people of Pennsylvania safe.

Now, I know foreign policy isn’t part of my job description as Governor, but it’s a fair question given what happened last time. I’m happy to address it. I think what is most important right now is that we not have any escalation beyond what occurred last night. I don’t think any of us want to get dragged into another long war in the Middle East.

I think it is important that we are we are vigilant about that. Obviously, the Trump administration holds a responsibility for what comes next and ensuring that our American troops and our personnel in the region are safe. I will say with regard to the Iranian nuclear program, that was obviously very, very dangerous. The idea that Iran, the world’s largest sponsor of terror, would have a nuclear weapon, would not only destabilize the Middle East, but it would create risk for American interests at home and abroad.

It is good if Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon. I think it is important now that there be some accounting for the questions that I think a lot of people have, whether more diplomacy could have accomplished that, and I think it’s also important that we have a full accounting for what actually happened last night. I want to hear from military leaders about whether or not this mission was successful.

I want to thank our American troops, including those from Pennsylvania, who were involved in the planning and the execution of what occurred last night in the bombing of these nuclear sites in Iran. There are there are no greater warriors in the world than American troops, and we are proud of that here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, proud of our National Guard.

I’m going to be swearing in about 40 new National Guards members in a moment. [We’re] just proud of those who have dedicated their lives to serving our nation, who put on the uniform of freedom, and they go out and defend freedom at home and abroad. I think what we now need to focus on is diplomacy, in not having an escalation, in not allowing this to turn into a long war in the Middle East.

We’ve got to get back around the table and ensure that diplomacy can take shape, diplomacy can take hold, and that there is no more violence between Israel and Iran, and beyond that, broadening it out, it is critically important that we get a cease fire in return of the hostages in Gaza. We need peace in the Middle East.

We need to end these hostilities. Bringing home these hostages is key to that, and I want to just tell you that I’m praying right now for everybody in the Middle East, especially our Americans who are overseas, Americans who here who are on our bases. We want to make sure that they are safe and they’re going to be in our prayers.

As I said at the top, our job is to make sure that the good people of Pennsylvania are safe, and we’re going to continue to do that with great urgency and great vigilance and great seriousness.

From Dean’s post:

Last night, surrounded by an ever-shrinking group of advisors and courtiers, President Trump unilaterally and unconstitutionally authorized military action in Iran. This was a perilous gamble that threatens the safety of tens of thousands of Americans and risks entangling our country in another prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

Iran should never possess nuclear weapons, yet military action and a strike like this should be a last resort. War begets war; whereas, diplomacy is the path to the lasting peace that the President claims to want.

Importantly, by failing to consult and coordinate with Congress — as required by our Constitution — the President has once again demonstrated his disregard for our Constitution.

Fundamentally, I am gravely concerned that last night’s actions puts American lives at risk. More than 40,000 American troops are currently stationed in the Middle East, and thousands of American citizens remain in the region. Protecting them must be our first priority — even as our President appears eager to plunge us into this conflict.

I thank God for our extraordinary U.S. military personnel — who appear to have exquisitely executed this operation. They and we, the people, need accountability, transparency, and responsibility from this Administration.

I call on all of my colleagues in Congress — especially my Republican colleagues — to curb this Administration’s unpredictable, erratic whims. As we have seen, this President is willing to roll the dice on far lesser things and push us to the brink of war.

We must uphold our Constitution and the rule of law, and we must immediately pursue diplomacy and peace.

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