Crow: No Strategy for Iran War, Congress Shut Out | Face The Nation (March 22, 2026)

Colorado Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, publicly questioned the Trump administration’s rationale for the ongoing conflict with Iran, asserting a lack of transparency and a concerning disconnect between intelligence assessments and military action. Crow’s remarks came during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

The Congressman challenged recent testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Gabbard had indicated that Iran was unlikely to possess an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States until 2035, a claim Crow noted contrasted with assertions from Israel that a recently launched missile *was* an ICBM aimed at a U.S.-U.K. Base. “She could be wrong, and we have—obviously have to dive into the intelligence,” Crow stated. He emphasized that assessing threats is only the beginning of the analytical process.

Crow criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict, citing a lack of a clear strategy or off-ramp. “Right now, we’ve spent $20 billion in the first two weeks of this war alone, one and a half billion dollars a day. Americans are paying $300 million a day extra energy prices. The terror threat around the world against the United States and Americans is spreading,” he said. He further asserted that the administration initiated the war without Congressional authorization and has since failed to articulate a compelling imminent threat to justify the action.

The Congressman also highlighted a lack of information sharing with Congress. “We are not getting the information from this, this administration. They started this war without congressional authorization,” Crow stated. He accused the administration of “stonewalling” Congress, preventing oversight of the conflict’s financing, and objectives.

Crow’s concerns extended to the escalating financial costs of the war. He pointed to a discrepancy between initial White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett’s claim that no supplemental funding would be needed and subsequent reports from Secretary Hegseth suggesting a potential requirement of up to $200 billion. Hegseth, according to Crow, stated, “far as $200 billion I suppose that number could move. Obviously, it takes, it takes money to kill bad guys. So we’re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future.”

Crow firmly opposed providing additional funds without a clear justification and Congressional oversight. He criticized the Department of Defense’s inability to pass an audit and its management of existing funds, referencing a $150 billion “slush fund” allocated to the DOD by House Republicans the previous summer. “I’m not about to throw money at a DOD that can’t pass an audit, is sitting on money that they already haven’t accounted for and haven’t spent and to perpetuate an unauthorized war that is not in America’s interest,” he said.

Addressing potential accusations of not supporting the troops, Crow asserted his commitment to military families and service members, emphasizing his role on the House Armed Services Committee. However, he reiterated his opposition to funding what he characterized as a reckless and ill-defined war. “What I’m not going to do is just throw money at the Iran war, which they’re now admitting is a war,” he stated. “This cannot continue.”

The conversation also touched upon a partial federal government shutdown stemming from a dispute over immigration policy. Crow attributed the shutdown to Republican obstructionism, stating that Senate Democrats had offered a bill to fund all government functions except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but it was blocked by Senate Republicans. He noted the impact of the shutdown on TSA agents, with reports of airport staff requesting gift card donations to support employees not receiving paychecks.

As of Sunday, March 22, 2026, Congress remains scheduled to start a recess, leaving the funding situation unresolved and the future of the conflict with Iran uncertain.