Reaction among Fort Bend County's representatives in the U.S. Congress and the Texas Legislature to the U.S. and Israel-launched war on Iran were mixed, and broke largely along party lines.

President Trump announced the launch of the attack shortly after the strikes began early Saturday morning, saying in a post on his Truth Social network that the Islamicist regime that has ruled the country since 1979 posed an imminent threat to the U.S. and its allies, although he provided little evidence. He made his first public speech on the war on Monday.

U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls of Richmond, a Republican who has long been one of President Donald Trump's most stalwart supporters on Capitol Hill, said in a Facebook post on Saturday, "I support Operation Epic Fury."

"For far too long, the Iranian regime has chanted 'Death to America' and has targeted our nation, our brave servicemen and women, and our allies," Nehls said. "Under President Trump, we are putting a stop to this terror and are making a bold stand for our national security."

"The Iranian regime must be destroyed. The people of Iran must seize this moment and rise up and take back their country. Pray for our servicemembers conducting this critical mission. God bless the USA," he said.

In November, Nehls, who was first elected in 2020, announced that he will not seek reelection to his 22nd District seat this year. His brother, former Fort Bend County Trever Nehls, is one of several candidates vying for the Republican nomination for his seat in the March 3 primary, after the Fort Bend Star's print deadline.

The two Democrats who serve parts of Fort Bend County in the U.S. House were critical of the operation.

“Today, President Trump announced that he has taken unilateral action to start a war with Iran without authorization from Congress – the representatives of the people – that threatens to put the United States into another prolonged war at great cost to the American people,"  U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, whose Houston-based 7th District includes part of Sugar Land and other portions of the county, said in a written statement on Saturday. "It is the latest action in a series of a reckless abuses of power that has become the defining characteristic of this President and his presidency.  President Trump, without congressional authorization or a clear mission with defined objectives, has chosen escalation over diplomacy, putting our service members, U.S. interests, and regional stability at risk."

“The Constitution grants the Congress the sole authority and the solemn responsibility to declare war for good reason.  It is the most serious and consequential decision a people can make – and it is the decision of the people, not the President," Fletcher said.

“Speaker Johnson must reconvene the House immediately, the administration must brief the full Congress, and the Congress must vote on the pending resolution to remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran without congressional authorization.  I intend to vote in favor of this resolution," she said.

“Our men and women in uniform deserve better from our country’s leaders than unilateral, unconstitutional action.  We owe it to them and their families to ensure that we do not repeat mistakes of the past.  I am praying for their safety and for the safety of all civilians who are now in harm’s way," she said.

U.S. Rep. Al Green, whose 9th District includes much of Missouri City and other parts of the county, said in a written statement on Saturday, “The President has taken our country to war without Congress having weighed in. I’m calling on Speaker Johnson to reconvene the Congress to allow the War Powers Resolution, of which I am a cosponsor, to be voted on.”

Green said he planned to have discussions with the leadership of national defense committees a series o questions. "Among my many questions are: By what authority has the President committed the country to war without Congress having declared war? What is the strategy? Why were negotiations abruptly curtailed? Will the strategy require boots on the ground? Who will govern Iran if the current government is taken out?"

"Whether we agree or disagree with the war, we should all want our troops to come home safely. Say a prayer for peace." he said.

Green's 9th District was changed in last year's redistricting of the state's Congressional districts by the Texas Legislature. In this week's Democratic primary, he is seeking the nomination for the new 18th District, which former Harris County District Attorney Christina Menefee won in a special election. At press time on Monday, Menefee had not issued a public statement on the war.

Texas Rep. Suleman Lalani, a Democrat whose 26th District includes much of Fort Bend County, said in written statement that the attacks pose the danger of a widening regional conflict. Lalani, a physician, is a Pakistani-American and one of the first two Muslims elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

"Our nation is once again being pushed by Trump and his cronies toward a wider war in the Middle East, without the transparency, strategy, or congressional authorization the American people deserve. As a physician, I know the first rule in a crisis is simple: do no harm. Dropping bombs without a clear endgame is not strength. It is recklessness," Lalani said.

"Congress has a constitutional duty to weigh in before our country is drawn into open ended conflict. The administration must immediately brief the full Congress and answer basic questions the public has a right to know: What is the mission, what is the strategy, what is the endgame, and what comes next. Most importantly, how will we protect American service members and prevent more innocent civilians from being killed," he said.

"And let me be clear: Texas families are tired of leaders choosing escalation over diplomacy. We cannot keep writing blank checks for violence abroad, including enabling the Israeli government’s continued actions that have inflamed the region and deepened the humanitarian catastrophe, especially for Palestinians in Gaza. Peace and security will never come from collective punishment, endless siege, or treating civilian suffering as acceptable collateral," he said.

"As Muslims observe Ramadan, a month of mercy and reflection, my prayers are with every family living in fear, and with our troops who may be placed in harm’s way. We need de escalation, diplomacy, and accountability. Congress must assert its authority now before this spirals into a broader regional war that will cost lives, drain resources, and leave our country less safe," he said. 

View this article in the Fort Bend Star.