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Himes Delivers Opening Statement at House Intelligence Committee Annual Worldwide Threats Hearing

Washington, March 19, 2026
Today, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (CT-04) delivered the following opening remarks at the Committee's annual Worldwide Threats hearing. 
 
View the full remarks here. 
 
As delivered:
 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and a big welcome to all of our witnesses. I hope that whatever else is said today that you will convey to your workforces our deep admiration and appreciation for their diligence, their commitment and their sacrifice.
 
Sometimes this moment feels a little bit like that old Billy Joel song We Didn’t Start the Fire: North Korea, Red China, war in Ukraine, Greenland, Cuba, terrorism, burning drug boats and of course, the massive fire that we did start, our latest Middle Eastern war.
Where to begin? Our national elections are about seven months away, and plenty of Americans are worried that President Trump may indeed, as he said, “take control.” Meanwhile, we are not receiving the traditional indications or warnings of foreign interference efforts to interfere in those elections.
There have been several terrorist attacks in recent weeks, and meanwhile the FBI, our premier counter terrorism agency has pivoted hard to immigration enforcement.
But I can’t begin with anything other than that fire that we did start: Iran.
The constitution to which every single one of us swears an oath reserves decisions of war to the representatives of the people. And that’s not ink on parchment, there are good reasons for that.
First, let’s start with why. Why did we and are we risking our blood and treasure on a deeply risky venture, one that the President of the United States and the Director of National Intelligence have spent years telling us is a terrible idea.
The president has said that Iran was preparing an imminent attack on the United States. That is not true. As awful as the regime is and always has been, not one of your agencies has produced a single report saying that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States.
The president also claimed that Iran would soon possess a nuclear weapon, perhaps in weeks. That is also not true. It is not supported by a single report from your agencies, and it is certainly belied by the repeated claim that Iran’s nuclear capability was obliterated mere months ago.
Second, let’s consider the consequences, as the Congress should have done.
The Congress, not one man, should consider whether our constituents in uniform will live or die.
The Congress, not one man, should decide if Americans to will spend an extra $30 a week to fill their gas tanks.
The Congress, not one man, should consider if it is wise to allow the Russians to sell their oil to India so that they have millions of dollars with which to kill the Ukrainians who we are now begging for help to defend ourselves against Iranian drones.
Finally, had the administration chosen to abide by the constitution, Congress might have considered the answer to General Petraeus’ all important question: tell me how this ends.
When the Iranian navy is sunk and the missile launchers destroyed, and we have re-obliterated the nuclear infrastructure, do we declare victory and sail away? How do we feel about a new supreme leader who is more extreme and vicious and dedicated to the development of a nuclear weapon than the last one? Do we do a deal with him? How do we get him to open the strait of Hormuz? Do we bomb more? And if we sail away and declare victory, are we back there nine months from now to re-sink a rebuilt navy, and re-bomb the rebuilt missile launchers? Is this going to be an every nine month thing or is it going to be annual?
The very core purpose of the intelligence community is to answer these questions for the president, for us, and for the American people.
Right now, as we watch the dignified transfer of lost American patriots at Dover, as we watch gasoline approach five dollars a gallon, as we watch our allies mocking us on the world stage, we need to know: Were those questions asked? How did you answer them for the President of the United States? And did he listen?
I understand that the administration may come to the Congress to ask for funding of $200 billion for this war. As you answer questions to us today, I’d ask you to remember that old saying “if you want me there for the landing, make sure I’m there at the takeoff.