Congressman August Pfluger, who represents Texas’ 11th district in the U.S. Congress, appeared on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” to discuss Operation Epic Fury and its implications for U.S. military policy and national security.
Pfluger, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot with experience flying combat missions in the Middle East, provided his perspective on the operation’s significance. He stated: “The President has been very clear. He’s set very clear military objectives. He’s used speed and an aggressive nature to take out what is a cancer, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, sowing chaos in the region. And it makes me proud to be an American that we finally have a president who’s actually standing up for our security in doing something about this 47-year-old terror regime.”
Addressing concerns about the duration of the operation, Pfluger said: “Well, I understand the concern. We have been shaped by conflicts of the past. We have also been shaped by four years of appeasement with Joe Biden and eight years of appeasement from Barack Obama, who actually sent billions of dollars of cash to Iran. So I get that, but the difference now is that the President is actually protecting Americans. He’s doing so with the strongest military force the world has ever seen. General ‘Raizin’ Caine is the right leader at the right time to achieve those objectives, and quite frankly, we are safer. This is a regime that not only chants ‘Death to America’ repeatedly, but they’ve used their missiles, their proxy forces, and their terrorists around the region and around the world.”
On presidential authority regarding military action, Pfluger commented: “Well, Article Two of the Constitution is very clear. It gives our Commander-in-Chief the ability to do this, and he’s taking it seriously in every capacity. He is protecting us. It was an imminent threat. I truly believe that. Don’t look at just my word for it. Look at precedent. Look at Obama and Libya and many other presidents in the past three to four decades who have used this authority. And the War Powers Resolution does require that Congress be notified, which we have been fully briefed on this.”
He also expressed support for U.S troops involved in Operation Epic Fury: “This is an area of violence. We’ve seen that for so many decades. I’m praying for all of the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and guardians who are involved in this. I know many of them. I’ve trained many of them, and I’ve flown with many of them in combat. So with all the concerns we have, we have a Commander-in-Chief who is actually standing up for our military, for our country, and for our safety.”
Pfluger began serving as representative for Texas’ 11th district after replacing Mike Conaway in 2021 (https://ballotpedia.org/August_Pfluger). He won his seat after defeating Jon Mark Hogg in 2020 with nearly 80% of votes (https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/03/august-pfluger-wins-texas-11th-congressional-district-race/). Born in Houston in 1978 and currently residing in San Angelo at age 44, Pfluger continues his work as a member of Congress.
