DURHAM, NC (April 8, 2026) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) released the following statement after President Trump said “a whole civilization will die tonight” before agreeing to a ceasefire on Tuesday.
“Though I am relieved that no U.S. strikes were launched in the wake of the President’s incoherent threats on social media yesterday, I cannot give Trump credit for reaching a hazy short-term ceasefire agreement for a conflict which he escalated. Strikes that threaten the lives of thousands of innocent people have continued in neighboring nations, and Trump's behavior continues to demonstrate that he is unfit for office.
“Days after saying our government doesn’t have money for childcare and healthcare, Trump further escalated this needless conflict and has even requested $1.5 trillion from Congress for his miliary operations. In fact, reports indicate that Trump allowed Netanyahu—someone who has long stalled progress towards peace in the region—to drag him into this war with the promise of regime-change and controlling the flow of oil throughout the region. Instead, the lives of American servicemembers and thousands of civilians in Iran have been lost.
“Trump continues to behave like other instigators of grave wars across history who cared little for the human toll of these conflicts. This war is a moral issue. Congress must move forward with a War Powers Resolution and impeachment, should Trump’s cabinet refuse to invoke the 25th amendment.”
On April 7, Trump agreed to suspend bombing for two weeks if Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and called the Iranian proposal for a peace plan “a workable basis on which to negotiate”. Israel has continued to hit Lebanon with airstrikes, while Iran has continued to bomb the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
On April 4, NPR reported that 2,076 people have been killed by US-Israeli attacks since February 28. NBC News reports that at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes across Iran. The blasts killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reportedly claimed the lives 150 people in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, most of them likely children.
The New York Times has reported that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “had been pressing for months for the United States to agree to a major assault on Iran” and that “Mr. Netanyahu made a hard sell, suggesting that Iran was ripe for regime change” during a visit to the White House on February 11.
Congresswoman Valerie Foushee has voted in favor of advancing articles of impeachment at every opportunity to do so in the 119th Congress. She voted against tabling Congressman Al Green’s articles of impeachment in June 2025 and December 2025.