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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today delivered her annual State of the District Address to the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber. 

In her remarks, Rep. Dingell addressed the situation in Iran.
Key excerpts as prepared

"Let me begin with what happened over the weekend. We should all be concerned. The events of the weekend raise serious and urgent questions about what comes next. The American people have lived through decades of war in the Middle East, and there is deep concern about being pulled once again into an open-ended conflict with no clear strategy or defined end. We must understand the objective, the legal authority, and the long-term plan before further escalation occurs."

"We cannot drift into another endless war. Are U.S. troops going to be put on the ground? What is the exit strategy? What will this mean for American service members and their families? Congress has a constitutional responsibility to debate and authorize the use of military force, and that responsibility cannot be sidelined."

"We must also consider how this action affects our alliances and regional stability. What are our NATO partners and allies in the Middle East saying? Are we coordinating to prevent broader regional conflict? Escalation could inflame tensions, empower extremist groups, and destabilize already fragile governments."

"America must always defend its national security interests and protect its personnel. There is no question that this regime was brutal. It slaughtered its own people, massacred thousands, crushed dissent, and posed a serious threat to regional stability. Its pursuit of dangerous weapons and destabilizing actions put innocent lives at risk and alarmed the international community. A New York Times article this weekend talked of a brutal murder in January when protestors were brought to an emergency room for treatment, and so, doers came in and brutally murdered all of them. No one should minimize the evil of what it has done."

"But acknowledging the evil of a regime does not relieve us of the responsibility to ask hard questions about what comes next. We will – I hope – both have a classified briefing when we return and have a War Powers vote."

"These are the questions I am going to be asking. What is the plan? What is the clear objective? Is this a limited action, or are we entering another prolonged conflict? Who replaces the Ayatollah, and what does regime change mean? Trust me it is not clear in any way shape or form. Telling the Iranian people to go to the streets and take over doesn’t work, to be blunt.  I keep saying that the American people deserve to know whether there will be troops on the ground, how long U.S. involvement might last, and our exit strategy.

“We must also consider the economic impact. Instability in the Middle East often affects global energy markets, shipping routes, and investor confidence. If conflict expands, we could see spikes in oil prices, higher gas costs for American families, volatility in financial markets, and supply chain disruptions. In a fragile global economy, escalation carries real consequences for working families here at home.”

“America must project strength, but strength includes strategic clarity and coalition-building. We must prevent escalation, protect our troops and personnel, reassure our allies, and avoid actions that could lead to another prolonged conflict or economic shock.”

“The American people deserve a clear plan – militarily, diplomatically, and economically – so that we safeguard both our national security and global stability. Strength requires more than military force. It requires strategy, diplomacy, coalition-building, and clarity. If the goal is long-term stability and security, then there must be a defined path forward, not another open-ended commitment with unclear costs.”

“The American people deserve transparency, a lawful authorization for the use of force, and a clear explanation of how this action makes our nation safer without plunging us into another endless war.”

Watch Rep. Dingell’s full remarks here.