In a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Trump administration to immediately declassify the White House notification to Congress of the initiation of hostilities against Iran, pursuant to the War Powers Act of 1973.

In the letter to President Trump, the senators said it is critical for the Trump administration to share additional information in a timely manner with the American people about the U.S. military operation targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. Senators Schumer and Menendez also criticized the administration’s decision to classify the entire War Powers Act notification, saying there was no legitimate justification for such extensive classification.

The full text of Ranking Member Menendez’s and Leader Schumer’s letter to President Trump can be found below:

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to request and urge you to immediately declassify in full the January 4, 2020 war powers notification you submitted to Congress following the U.S. military operation targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.

It is critical that national security matters of such import be shared with the American people in a timely manner. An entirely classified notification is simply not appropriate in a democratic society, and there appears to be no legitimate justification for classifying this notification.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,