Since 1979, the Iranian government has called for the destruction of the United States and Israel, and it remains the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, funding Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and others.    A nuclear Iran is a serious threat to Americans and our democratic ally, Israel. Operation Midnight Hammer succeeded in setting back that effort, and I’m grateful to the U.S. service members involved in the operation.    It's deeply troubling that only Republican lawmakers were briefed before the operation. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will be briefed on the details of this operation and will request the intelligence that justified the operation. National security is not a red or blue issue, it’s an American issue.   The world is safer with the degradation of Iran's nuclear capabilities and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported there are undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. For decades, Iran has been expanding its nuclear capabilities, its ballistic missile program, and funded terrorism that’s dangerous to American security.    We must weigh the long-term implications of this action and the possibility that it could lead us into an avoidable war. Only Congress has the power to declare war and I encourage further diplomatic negotiations to de-escalate this conflict.