At a press conference outside the Capitol on Tuesday, House Democrats called for action by the U.S. government to ensure free internet access and telecommunications for Iranians amid a crackdown by the Iranian regime, but largely withheld comment on whether the administration should undertake military strikes on the regime in support of the protesters, as President Donald Trump has floated.

“People cannot reach loved ones, plan and organize or reach unbiased information. They are literally being kept in the dark by their own government, and it could very well be permanent,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), the daughter of Iranian immigrants and the first Iranian-American Democrat in Congress, said. “It’s why long-standing bipartisan efforts to ensure internet access in Iran cannot be left on the back burner. This access could save lives, and this is all very personal to me.”

She thanked colleagues for signing on to a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the Iranian protesters, condemning the Iranian regime, calling for unrestricted internet access and urging the U.S. and allied governments to “implement concrete measures” to deter further killings of protesters.

“To the people of Iran: know that you are not alone. Members of Congress and the United States see your incredible courage, and your resolve, your fight for freedom, democracy and self determination has inspired millions around the world. The future of Iran belongs to you and to no one else. The United States and the international community must continue to stand with the people of Iran and support a democratic Iran free from the tyrannical Islamic Republic,” Ansari continued.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) highlighted the bipartisan support for the protesters and asked the administration to take “concrete action to break through the communications blackout, to allow the people to succeed and to allow the people of Iran to control its destiny.”

He said that restoring communications access is critical to allowing Iranian dissidents to coordinate with each other and to share their experiences with the rest of the world, and for them to be able to see the support they have received from around the world.

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) praised the protesters, referencing slogans used in previous Iranian protest movements, and accused the Iranian regime of depriving and stealing from its own citizens in order to “serve as a terrorist banker” and “destabilize the Middle East and terrorize the world.”

“I hope that we can breach the internet blackout so the people will know that their protests these past three weeks have been [an] inspiration to us all,” Suozzi continued.

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) said, “We, the United States, this Congress, in a bipartisan way, has a moral obligation to amplify [the protesters’] voices when their own government tries to silence them, and we will make clear that we see them, we hear them, and we stand unequivocally with them.”

Asked by reporters about the possibility of military action, the Democratic lawmakers largely deflected.

“My personal belief is that any military action needs to come before Congress. That is the law of the United States within our Constitution,” Ansari said. “But no such action has been proposed or has been put forward by the president. No briefing has been had, no real formal proposal by the president of the United States has come to Congress when it pertains to Iran. So if he has any proposals, I know that many colleagues would be interested in hearing them.”

Trump has dialed back his rhetoric about the immediacy of the situation and the likelihood of strikes in recent days.

When pressed on whether she would support a proposal for military action if it were presented, Ansari reiterated that her “focus is the fact that there is no internet in Iran, and Donald Trump has done absolutely nothing to support internet freedom in the country,” criticizing the president for pulling funding from organizations supporting Iranian dissidents as part of the USAID shutdown last year.

She called for that funding to be “resumed immediately” and for Congress to act on legislation to restore internet and cellular access and her resolution in support of the Iranian people. She said she’s hopeful for a vote on the resolution this week.

“Right now we’re holding together a bipartisan coalition so we can’t go off in all different directions,” Suozzi said. “Right now, we have very strong support for the United States Congress standing by the people of Iran in their protest, and we have strong bipartisan support for providing internet access to the people of Iran. We need to hold that coalition together and get those steps done. And then we can move on to the next.”