Shortly after the attack began Tuesday, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick to pledge their support for Israel and call on the United States to defend the Jewish state. However, Republicans also jumped on the Biden administration for the attack, arguing the president has enabled terrorist groups in the country by refusing to enforce sanctions and rolling back Trump-era policies that sought to rein in Iran’s nuclear capacity.

“Four years ago, Iran was weak, broke and powerless,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said in a post on X. “Today, after years of appeasement from the Biden-Harris admin that has given it access to billions of dollars, we watch in horror as the evil Iranian regime terrorizes Israel with waves of missile attacks. The U.S. must stand strongly with Israel, give it everything it needs to respond, and be clear that Iran will pay dearly for these attacks.”

“How did we get to this place of constant chaos across the world?” said House GOP Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschethaler. “Through President Biden and Vice President Harris’s tenure of weakness and appeasement.”

Other Republicans echoed similar sentiments, arguing the attacks would not have occurred if former President Donald Trump were still in office.

“Weakness invites aggression,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) in a post on X. “Iran only respects strength. Under President Trump, American foreign policy put deterrence over appeasement, and we were safer for it.”

Mullin’s comments echo Trump’s response to the attacks, in which the former president argued Iran “was in total check” when he was in office.

“They were starved for cash, fully contained, and desperate to make a deal,” Trump said. “Kamala flooded them with American cash and, ever since, they’ve been exporting terror all over, and unraveling the Middle East.”

Some lawmakers pointed to the nearly yearlong war in Israel prompted by the Oct. 7 attack by the Hamas militant group, with Republicans accusing the Biden administration of failing to fully help Israel stamp out Hamas and, in turn, empowering other terrorist organizations in the Middle East.

“Never forget that it’s the Biden-Harris administration that has emboldened Iran through sending billions in sanction relief, cowered to the Hamas wing of the Democrat party since Oct. 7, and left behind billions of dollars worth of weapons for Iran after the botched Afghanistan withdrawal,” said Rep. Rick McCormick (R-GA). “Their actions are what have emboldened the terrorist regime of Iran to run wild in the Middle East and attack America’s allies. It’s time to show strength.”

Meanwhile, a handful of Democrats praised President Joe Biden and his administration for their response to the attack, which began hours before Iran launched missiles into Israel.

“I’m grateful [Biden] and [Vice President Kamala Harris] have mobilized forces to help defend Israel and [I’m] confident they will direct the measures necessary to protect our ally — just as they did against Iran’s direct attack on Israel in April — and ensure severe consequences for Iran’s aggression,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) also praised the Biden administration for its swift response, underscoring that the U.S. “stands with Israel as it confronts yet another attack from a despotic regime bent on its destruction.”

“The elimination of Hassan Nasrallah and much of his top leadership — terrorists that have the blood of thousands of innocent people including Americans on their hands — provides some measure of justice for their victims and some measure of security against their continued operations,” Schiff said in a post on X. “Grateful to see the Administration act so promptly in Israel’s defense.”

Lawmakers continued to express their support for Israel in the hours following the attack, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) who stated: “Pray for Israel.”

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have been briefed on the attack.