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Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Wednesday erupted at United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz over the deaths of U.S. service members in Iran, urging that he “should resign.”
Waltz was testifying before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Lieu asked the ambassador questions about troops based in Jordan, where recent Iranian attacks on U.S. bases killed three service members, before blasting him over the conflict.
“You should be shameful,” Lieu yelled. “You don’t know basic facts. You should resign. You don’t even care about the number of U.S. troops that were wounded. You did not know how many US troops were wounded. You gave false information to Congress. You should be ashamed of yourself for not even knowing how many U.S. troops were wounded in the Iranian war.”
Lieu said U.S. troops in Jordan were “exposed” to the threat of Iranian missile and drone strikes.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) interjected, urging Lieu to not use “such derogatory language” toward the U.N. ambassador. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) added that Waltz was a 27-year military veteran
“Seriously, I know you’re upset, but you only bring dishonor to yourself,” Smith told Lieu, later adding, “Disagree all you want, but do it civilly, and that was not civil.”
Tensions have grown among lawmakers fuming over the Iran war, which has dragged out for nearly five months. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) on Monday said the U.S. should have finished the job in Iran “a long time ago.”
President Trump said early in the conflict that it would be an “excursion” and end within days or weeks. The U.S. and Iran had an interim peace deal in place, but that deal was shredded after hostilities reignited last week.
Since the conflict resumed, four more U.S. service members have died, including the three killed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday and a fourth killed on Sunday during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone at Erbil Air Base in Iraq.
Trump attended the dignified transfer of the four service members at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday. The bodies of 1st Lt. Tyler J. Feehan, Sgt. Michael E. Swinton, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales were received by Trump and their families.
The four deaths raised the American death toll to 17. The Defense Department has stated that nearly 100 troops have been injured since strikes resumed on July 7, though 96 percent of those troops have returned to duty.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who lawmakers grilled on Tuesday over the war, said the U.S. has spent $37.5 billion to fight the conflict and requested a $67 billion package to replenish stockpiles that have been used up during the conflict and advance other Trump administration priorities.
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