Pennsylvania's congressional delegation voiced strong support for the joint U.S. and Israel military strikes on Iran Saturday (March 1), while Governor Josh Shapiro raised concerns about the operation's lack of Congressional approval.
The strikes, part of an operation named Operation Epic Fury, targeted sites inside Iran, including what the Associated Press reported appeared to be the offices of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.
U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican, said the United States was justified in striking Iran. In a statement on Facebook, McCormick said, "For decades, the Iranian regime has killed Americans, threatened Israel and our allies in the region with their ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions, and butchered tens of thousands of its own people. They are the world's number one sponsor of terror."
McCormick added that President Trump had offered Iran a path forward. "The president has given the ayatollahs a chance for a deal, and they have rejected a path to peace and prosperity," he said. "I am praying for our brave troops and our steadfast allies who stand with us during this challenging and noble mission."
The senator also called on Democrats to stop blocking Department of Homeland Security funding. In a separate post on X, McCormick said, "Now would be a good time for Democrats to drop their opposition to DHS funding and pass the bill to support our homeland security. Continuing to play political games with our national security given the unfolding situation in the Middle East is dangerous."
U.S. Representative Scott Perry, a Republican who represents York County, echoed President Donald Trump's call for regime change in Iran. In a post on X, Perry said, "The hour of your freedom has arrived. Your destiny is in your hands. Take Back Your Government and Return Persia."
U.S. Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, also backed the strikes. "President Trump has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region," Fetterman said via his Facebook page. "God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel."
U.S. Representative Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents several Pennsylvania counties including Lebanon County, called the strikes a turning point. In a post on X, Meuser said, "For nearly five decades, Iran has pursued a dangerous agenda of Shia Islamic revolution, anti-Western hostility, and nuclear armament, inflicting harm across the region and beyond. Now, through resolute action by the United States and Israel, we are drawing a firm line, offering the Iranian people and the broader Middle East a genuine opportunity for freedom, stability, and peace."
Not everyone in Pennsylvania's political leadership supported the strikes without reservation. Governor Shapiro released a statement raising serious questions about the decision to act without Congressional approval. "In our democracy, the American people — through our elected representatives — decide when our nation goes to war," Shapiro said. "Yet, today President Trump acted unilaterally — without Congressional approval and outside of the guardrails set up by our founders in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago."
Shapiro acknowledged the Iranian regime's record of violence and terror but said President Trump had not made clear what the mission's goals are. "President Trump and his Administration have not demonstrated to the American people that we have a clear plan with this mission," the governor said. He added that his family is "praying for the women and men of the United States armed forces who are deployed in the region and around the world."