Opinion: Pappas and Goodlander's political theater, sponsored by AIPAC

U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander answers questions on Monday, July 22, 2024, in West Lebanon, N.H. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck)

U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander answers questions on Monday, July 22, 2024, in West Lebanon, N.H. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Jennifer Hauck

By JOHN HANCOCK

Published: 07-18-2025 8:00 AM

Over three weeks ago, New Hampshire’s representatives staged a disturbing piece of political theater designed to mask a betrayal of their constituents. It involves two resolutions in Congress that could influence the likelihood of a future war in the Middle East.

One is a genuine bipartisan resolution aiming to reclaim congressional authority over declaring war. The other is a counterfeit resolution that would make congressional authority irrelevant. Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander favor the counterfeit resolution, but have irresponsibly hidden that fact from their constituents. This raises an unavoidable question: Who are they doing this for?

On June 23, the Monday after President Trump bombed Iran, Pappas issued a press release, stating “Congress must reassert its authority... That is why I will support H. Con. Res. 38.” H. Con. Res. 38 is the bipartisan resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie on June 17 to block hostilities with Iran without congressional approval. Pappas and Goodlander failed to support Massie’s resolution before the bombing, but mounting pressure from constituents caused Pappas to eventually declare his support.

However, instead of signing onto H. Con. Res. 38 as promised, Pappas co-sponsored an alternative resolution called H. Con. Res. 40, and failed to publicly communicate that switch to his constituents. When you look at the resolution he put his name on, it’s easy to understand why.

Unlike H. Con. Res. 38, H. Con. Res. 40 contains a giant loophole, allowing the president to wage war against Iran if defending an “ally or partner of the United States from imminent attack.” This language was deliberately added to benefit Israel. It gives a blank check to bypass Congress through the exact justification Trump used in his first attack on Iran. That justification was the “collective self-defense” of Israel, even though Israel had initiated the conflict with Iran on June 12. This loophole allows Israel’s future aggressions against Iran to justify U.S. military action without congressional approval. And that defeats the entire purpose of having the resolution in the first place.

H. Con. Res. 40 was first introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks on June 23. According to OpenSecrets, Meeks’ single largest campaign donor is the pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC – a financial commonality he shares with Pappas and Goodlander.

AIPAC’s influence becomes undeniable when you analyze the donor data of members who exclusively co-sponsored only one of the two resolutions. According to OpenSecrets, of the representatives who currently only stand with Massie’s resolution, a mere 2% count AIPAC as their top donor. But among members that currently only back Meeks’ resolution, that number skyrockets to a staggering 42% who count AIPAC as their top donor. This is not a policy disagreement. It is a donor-driven deception.

While Goodlander has avoided taking a public stance on either resolution, her preference is clear. Speaking recently to columnist Jennifer Rubin, Goodlander vaguely praised H. Con. Res. 40 for having “some important differences from an initial bipartisan resolution.” Those “important differences” are, of course, the war-enabling loophole. So why hasn’t Goodlander spoken clearly on her views to the public?

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It’s part of a calculated strategy of evasion. When public pressure mounted after the bombing, Goodlander issued a press release titled “Goodlander Asserts Congressional Authority Over War Powers.” But there wasn’t much asserting going on. The only thing the press release explained was that Goodlander signed onto a letter that supported the concept of a War Powers Resolution. Meanwhile, there was an actual War Powers Resolution sitting on the table, which was Massie’s resolution. Goodlander didn’t even acknowledge it. And of the 12 House Democrats that signed onto the meaningless letter, AIPAC was the top donor for six of them.

Over four weeks, I’ve called Goodlander’s office 14 times to learn her stance on Massie’s resolution. I have yet to receive an answer. And this silence is particularly troubling due to her persistent alarmism on Iran and nuclear weapons.

In her conversation with Rubin, Rubin highlighted that U.S. intelligence agencies have routinely concluded Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons. Goodlander stammered in her response, stating “Tthe intentions of the Supreme Leader, I think, are very difficult to discern.” She then expressed hopes that the intelligence community would eventually share its findings with Congress for clarity.

This is a remarkable admission of ignorance when you consider Goodlander’s fearmongering. Pappas and Goodlander’s rhetoric has been so consistent with AIPAC’s talking points against Iran that both have received public ‘thank you’ messages from AIPAC on social media. And now, Goodlander astonishingly admits she possesses no concrete evidence to justify what she’s been saying.

These charades are a disgrace. And they benefit only blood-soaked donors like AIPAC. Frederick Douglass warned, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” Join me – call Pappas and Goodlander. Demand they reject H. Con. Res. 40’s loophole, and insist on truth over deception.

John S. Hancock II lives in Concord.