{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-rising-tensions-between-us-iran", "King Statement on Rising Tensions Between U.S., Iran", "2026-04-06", "2026", "2026-04", "Independent", "Senate", "ME", "Angus S. King, Jr.", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", "angusking", "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today released a statement as tensions grow in the Middle East after the President\u2019s Easter Morning threat to escalate the U.S. bombing campaign to include civilian targets if Iran refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz.\n\n\u201cThe President\u2019s unhinged post Easter Sunday morning saying that Tuesday is \u201cPower Plant Day\u201d in Iran followed by an interview where he continued, \u201cI am blowing up everything over there\u201d are gravely dangerous to our country on two levels.\n\nThe first is moral and legal. Attacking civilian infrastructure without a direct military purpose but with a disproportionate impact on civilians is a war crime and puts the United States in the same category as Putin\u2019s Russia. It also hastens our transition from the unquestioned leader of the free world to a lonely pariah state without allies or even friends.\n\nThe second outcome is more practical and immediate. Iran\u2019s response to such an attack will almost certainly be major strikes on oil infrastructure throughout the Middle East which will make the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz look like child\u2019s play. $8.00 a gallon gas and world-wide recession would be just the start. And remember, the Strait of Hormuz was open before we started this war.\n\nThe best result now would be for the President to declare victory (as he has half a dozen times already), cease the bombing, and let the international community sort out the aftermath. No more risk to our brave troops, no greater damage to our economy, no perpetration of war crimes, and no more blows to our tattered reputation.\u201d", 1, "2026-04-07T05:38:05Z", "2026-04-07T05:39:14Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-rising-tensions-between-us-iran"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.542750047519803, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}