Congress wrestles with war in Iran. Sen. Ted Budd explains his support
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Operation Epic Fury was launched; Budd cited Iran’s nukes and proxies.
- House reaffirmed Iran as largest state sponsor of terrorism, 221-209.
- Votes to remove U.S. from Iran conflict failed; Republicans opposed leaving the war.
Good morning! It’s Danielle Battaglia with the latest edition of Under the Dome focused on the Trump administration.
Since the last time I wrote this newsletter, President Donald Trump led the United States into war with Iran.
You’re probably already seeing the ramifications on your wallet of the war if you’ve gone to fill up your gas tank this week.
The Trump administration has offered multiple reasons for why it entered into this war, from hindering Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, to forcing a leadership change, to a feeling Trump had that Iran would attack.
On Thursday, Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, spoke by phone with reporters from North Carolina to explain his thoughts on the war.
Budd told reporters that Iran has been chanting “Death to America” for 50 years, deployed terrorists as proxies targeting American service members, stoked violence across the Middle East and enriched uranium to try to build nuclear weapons.
“Let me be clear, nuclear Iran was never an acceptable outcome,” Budd said. “While President Trump dealt a significant blow for Iran’s nuclear capabilities this past summer ... there is no doubt that Iran was still intent on restarting its nuclear program.”
On Thursday, the House voted to “reaffirm Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.” It passed 221-209. Rep. Valerie Foushee, a Democrat from Hillsborough, was the only member of the North Carolina delegation to vote against the resolution.
In Budd’s telephone call, he told reporters that Trump gave Iran’s leaders numerous chances to negotiate, but they refused.
“President Trump has now drawn a solid red line in launching Operation Epic Fury,” Budd said. “I support joint U.S.-Israeli military efforts to target and eliminate key leaders in the Iranian regime.”
Both the House and Senate voted last week on whether to remove the United States from the war in Iran. The policy failed in both chambers. The delegation voted along party lines, with Republicans voting not to leave the war.
Budd told reporters he felt Congress was appropriately notified. Prior to launching Operation Epic Fury, Trump notified the Gang of Eight, which includes the top Republican and Democratic leaders in both chambers and on the Senate and House intelligence committees.
One reporter asked about what this might mean for members of the military at Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
Budd said that all resources needed to be at Trump’s disposal, but said Trump is aware that U.S. citizens do not want a forever war. He also acknowledged this war could stretch several weeks.
And he took a moment to seek prayers for the six service members who already died.
“Our hearts are heavy following the announcement that six US service members have been killed in action,” Budd said. “I’m praying for their families and their loved ones. And there’s also been significant injuries to US military personnel. We pray for their recovery.”
What else we worked on:
- Thom Tillis accuses Kristi Noem of violating the law, says she ‘failed at FEMA’
- NC’s Deborah Ross echoes Tillis calling for Noem’s resignation over Helene relief
- Trump fires DHS’ Noem following tense hearings with NC’s Tillis, Ross over Helene
- Cooper, Whatley win primaries in NC’s Senate race, setting up November showdown
- Cooper lays out plan to lower grocery costs, help farmers from Washington
- Whatley pledges federal ‘Iryna’s Law’ in first event after NC GOP primary win
- Who won the GOP primary in Eastern NC’s 1st District? Unofficial results here.
- Nida Allam concedes NC Democratic congressional primary to Valerie Foushee
- Sam Page expands lead over Phil Berger in tight race for NC Senate
- An NC candidate for U.S. Senate faces charges that he injured Capitol police
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and supporting local journalism.
Be kind to each other.
If you have any feedback or tips for this edition of the newsletter, feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: Ted Budd is a senator. A previous version of this article referred to Budd with a past title.
