ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Sen. Lisa Murkowski is urging Congress to work with the White House to clearly define the scope of its operations in Iran.
In a one-on-one interview with Alaska’s News Source on Friday, Murkowski was asked whether the United States is now at war with Iran.
She said, “there’s been a lot of debate about how we define war.”
She opposed a war powers vote earlier this week that would have required U.S. troops to be removed from hostiles.
“Whether we call it war, a military operation, or ‘hostilities,’ the reality is we are engaged in a fight with an enemy,” she said. “We’ve already lost six American lives, with the potential for more.”
“Whatever we call it, the mission needs to be clearly defined. The scope needs to be defined,” she continued. “The president needs to address that, instead of suggesting that nothing short of unconditional surrender will be acceptable. That pretty much takes negotiation off the table.”
Iran operation expands
Murkowski is also concerned that the Iran operation is expanding beyond its original aims.
She acknowledged speculation in Washington that the president might consider sending ground troops.
NBC News recently reported that a source close to Trump said he would be privately open to a small deployment of “boots on the ground” to Iran. Murkowski said she had not heard that specific comment but confirmed the idea is being discussed.
“In a classified briefing the Senate had with members of the administration earlier this week, it was asked very directly: will there be boots on the ground?” she said.
According to Murkowski, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to rule it out. “He said, essentially, we’re not going to determine or broadcast ahead of time what we will and will not do. So, the idea of boots on the ground is still out there.”
She says many lawmakers see that as a significant escalation.
“Most members I’ve spoken with recognize that would take this military operation in Iran to a different level,” she said. “That’s where there is elevated anxiety and concern, ‘what’s the mission? where are we going?’”
Murkowski notes that the operation, less than a week old, was first described in narrow terms: degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities by striking naval assets, ballistic missiles and defenses around its nuclear program. Since then, she says, officials’ rhetoric has broadened.
“Then we heard messaging that the people of Iran need to rise up and take back their country — moving toward regime change,” she said. “In just the past 24 hours, we’ve seen greater suggestion by the president that the United States would have a role in selecting who comes next.”
“To me, these are troubling signs of an expanded view of what we’re doing in Iran,” she said.
Her priority, she says is to ensure U.S. forces have a clear mission and support.
“Our focus needs to be ensuring that the men and women engaged in this fight … have the support to do the mission, do the job, and return home safely,” Murkowski said. “What most people want to know is, where are we going with this?”
Congress’ role: oversight, funding and authorization. Murkowski says Congress must play an active role.
“Congress absolutely has the role and the authority, and we need to have the will to do our job,” she said.
She acknowledges ongoing legal debates over the war powers resolution but says there is no debate over Congress’ control of funding.
“What is not debatable is Congress’ role in funding a war. We have the power of the purse,” she said.
Murkowski expects a supplemental funding request “toward the end of the month,” and says lawmakers will need more than a simple price tag.
“If that comes over just as an invoice, ‘we need $20 billion or $50 billion, take it or leave it,’ that’s not the way to engage Congress or gain support,” she said. “The president needs to make the case for the mission and the scope. Secretary Hegseth needs to work with Congress, outline what he needs, why, and on what schedule.”
She said she hopes to gain more clarity during upcoming oversight hearings, including one before the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee next week.
“Hearings are essential on the status of the war, the status of Americans in threatened countries trying to get out safely, and on the level of spending,” Murkowski said.
She also calls for Congress to revive the practice of passing specific Authorizations for Use of Military Force, or AUMFs.
“We haven’t passed an authorization for use of military force since 2002. We’ve lost the ‘muscle memory,’” she said. “When I talk to colleagues about whether it makes sense to put some guardrails, some contours, around this, there’s good discussion, but we haven’t taken the next step.”
Even if combat operations ended soon, she says, there would still be major regional and diplomatic issues to address.
“Even if next week the president were to say, ‘Mission accomplished, we’re done, we’re out of here,’ you’d still have a region that’s been rocked and allies who are stunned we went into Iran with Israel without a clear heads-up,” Murkowski said. “There is much work to be done in the region, even if hostilities ended immediately, which I don’t anticipate, not with the signals we’re getting.”
Her office is directly involved in helping Americans caught in the conflict. She said she is assisting 13 Alaskans from a Southeast community who are trying to leave Israel safely.
Energy prices and affordability
“It’s not surprising we’ve seen the price of oil shoot up dramatically. We’re now over $90 a barrel,” she said. “We had to assume that when you go into a fight in Iran, oil prices would spike.”
She said there is uncertainty around shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
“What will happen in the Strait of Hormuz? Will shipping be disrupted?” she asked. “There’s a lot we don’t know.”
What is clear, she says, is that Americans are already feeling the effects. Gasoline prices have risen by roughly 25 cents a gallon in recent weeks.
“When prices go up at the pump … people notice, especially at a time when we’re going into elections and people are focused on affordability,” Murkowski said. “Even if they’re not closely following the war, when they realize it’s affecting their family budget, they get engaged.”
The White House, she believes, is considering short-term steps. One idea is a temporary gas tax holiday, which would suspend the federal gasoline tax to offset higher prices.
“To me, that’s a short-term fix, a way to make you believe the price hike didn’t really happen,” Murkowski said. “I’m not sure it’s effective, but it’s the kind of thing the White House might consider to take the sting out temporarily.”
She warns that President Donald Trump’s language about demanding “nothing short of unconditional surrender” from Iran could be politically risky if it coincides with visible cost increases for voters ahead of the midterms.
“If people hear that and keep watching prices rise to their detriment, it’s not going to sit well,” she said.
‘Affordability, affordability, affordability’
Murkowski says that, for most Americans, the main issue is still the cost of living.
“Affordability, affordability, affordability. It’s what everyone is talking about,” she said.
She argues that the president’s recent State of the Union address did not adequately address those concerns, especially for younger adults and families.
“They’re focused on what they’re dealing with at home: their kids in their early 20s still living with them because they can’t afford a house; jobs numbers that don’t translate into affordability,” Murkowski said. “It was noticeably missing [from the speech], and I think you’re seeing division even among some of the president’s strongest supporters.”
She expects a supplement funding request before the end of March to pay for operations in Iran.
“If people think their taxpayer dollars are going to fight what could become a never-ending war while they’re still paying high prices, after feeling the impacts from tariffs and now oil and gas price spikes, that’s a problem,” she said.
With midterm elections approaching, Murkowski questions whether there is time and political will to address affordability while managing an overseas conflict.
“There’s not a lot of time between now and the midterms to figure it out. Where is the president going to put his priorities?” she asked. “Right now, he’s made it clear he’s focused on Iran. Maybe next week it’s Cuba. But what does that do to make your life at home more affordable?”
“These are things the White House needs to be thinking about as we move deeper into 2026,” she added. “They’re very real issues for people.”
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