Listen

To this story on our podcast

Watch

Ali Velshi and Rep. Houlahan of PA on the war in Iran

Get Involved

Engaged citizens strengthen democracy

One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia — whether you want to contact your City Councilmember about the challenges facing your community, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

Vote and strengthen democracy

Stand up for marginalized communities

Create a cleaner, greener Philadelphia

Help our local youth and schools succeed

Support local businesses

Listen

Velshi Weighs in on U.S. Strikes in Iran

The MS NOW host and Citizen board member is joined by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of PA to discuss the U.S. strikes in Iran, how the president sidestepped Congress, and what should happen next

Listen

Velshi Weighs in on U.S. Strikes in Iran

The MS NOW host and Citizen board member is joined by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of PA to discuss the U.S. strikes in Iran, how the president sidestepped Congress, and what should happen next

BY Ali Velshi

Mar. 02, 2026

Print

President Donald Trump has carried out military strikes against Iran without authorization from Congress. Today, Senators and members of the House have made statements pushing back. Ali Velshi sits down with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, to discuss the action.

The Constitution states that only Congress has the power to declare war. Over the years, presidents have ordered military force without congressional approval before, interpreting Article 2 of the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution to mean that the president maintains the authority as Commander in Chief to conduct small-scale operations for a short duration without approval of the Legislative Branch for reasons of “national security” or in response to U.N. Security Council resolutions.

There has been little besides statements of disagreement from Congress to discourage the Executive Branch from unilaterally taking military action.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force granted in 2001 in response to the 9-11 attacks has been broadly interpreted by the Trump Administration to justify the current war in Iran, as it was passed to respond to “acts of terrorism.” However, it does not authorize attacks against just anyone. It specifically identifies Al Qaeda and the Talban, and has been used for other Islamic militants that grew out of these entities such as ISIS. It does not authorize force against the Iranian regime or any other nation’s ruling government.

Rep. Houlahan does not believe the president had the authority to order these strikes, and discusses with Velshi what the next steps will be.

LISTEN: VELSHI AND REP. HOULAHAN ON WAR IN IRAN

 

WATCH: TRUMP ORDERS U.S. STRIKES 

 

MORE FROM MSNBC’S ALI VELSHI

Related from The Citizen
Listen: Ali Velshi Asks Will We Get Tariff Refunds?
By Ali Velshi
Related from The Citizen
Listen: Ali Velshi Covers The Gordie Howe International Bridge
By Ali Velshi
Related from The Citizen
Listen: Ali Velshi Explains The Surveillance Tools Ice is Using
By Ali Velshi
Related from The Citizen
Listen: Ali Velshi On Boycotting The Corporations Enabling ICE
By Ali Velshi
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), with Ali Velshi

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility.

Photo and video disclaimer for attending Citizen events

By entering an event or program of The Philadelphia Citizen, you are entering an area where photography, audio and video recording may occur. Your entry and presence on the event premises constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with The Philadelphia Citizen and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news and advertising. By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event, including, without limitation, any right to inspect or approve the photo, video or audio recording of you, any claims for invasion of privacy, violation of the right of publicity, defamation, and copyright infringement or for any fees for use of such record media. You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not enter the event premises.