Rubio is set to testify before Congress for the first time since the US-Iran war amid scrutiny of Trump’s diplomatic efforts | Today’s news
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will appear on Capitol Hill for the first time since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February (local time).
ABC News reported that Rubio is prepared to face a series of questions about the fragile or stymied diplomatic efforts of US President Donald Trump’s administration around the world.
Rubio to sit before House and Senate committees to present department’s annual budget request; however, the report suggests that attention is likely to quickly shift to the shaky truce between Washington and Tehran, which has been further tested by flailing attacks in recent days.
Read also | Iran suspends peace talks with US over Israel’s military action in Lebanon
The Trump administration is advocating an Iran war
Rubio and several other cabinet members defended Trump’s decision to launch the Iran conflict despite promises over the years not to engage in “perpetual wars” in the Middle East. But that job has been made more difficult by Trump’s shifting goals for the conflict.
Democrats are fuming over the lack of congressional approval
As the secretary of state prepares to testify before Congress for the first time since the Iran war, he previously attended a secret briefing for lawmakers days after the first US and Israeli strikes. Rubio faced the ire of Democrats over his lack of congressional approval, but he won strong support from most Republicans to take action against one of America’s oldest adversaries.
The House had also earlier planned to vote on a war powers resolution, but Republican leaders prevented it from reaching the floor after it became clear they did not have enough support to block its passage.
Read also | US Iran War LIVE: Iran considers possible deal as it seeks ‘real benefit’
Republicans support Democrats over rising costs of war in Iran
Within two months of the outbreak of war, a small but growing number of Republicans joined Democrats in expressing concern about the rising costs of the conflict and its broader economic impact ahead of November’s midterm elections.
In May, the Senate succeeded for the first time in advancing legislation that would have forced the US president to withdraw from the conflict after Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, fresh from losing a primary election in which Trump endorsed his opponent, joined Democrats in pushing it.
The development points to growing challenges for the GOP in maintaining political support for Trump’s approach to the war, as a growing number of Republican lawmakers appear willing to break with Trump over the conflict.
Earlier in May, The New York Times reported that the US Senate had blocked a Democratic effort to stop the war on Tehran; some Republicans broke the party line and joined Democrats in questioning Trump.
Read also | Senate blocks Democrats’ Iran war resolution, some Republicans split with Trump
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky in supporting Democrats’ efforts to pass the measure. The move underscored growing frustration in the GOP over the Iran conflict and the US president’s handling of it.
Rubio will likely face questions about Cuba
Following his appearance today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House State Department subcommittee, the secretary of state will return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the equivalent Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is also likely to face a series of questions about the administration’s escalating behavior toward Cuba after Trump suggested the small island nation could be the next U.S. target after ending operations in Iran.
Read also | Trump says no escalation with Cuba expected after Raúl Castro indictment
Despite a series of meetings between Washington and Havana, the US president and secretary of state renewed threats against the island’s government, a move that takes on added significance after the administration announced the criminal indictment of former president Raúl Castro.
Throughout his career in Congress and now as Washington’s top diplomat, Rubio has argued that Havana is a national security threat because of its ties to America’s adversaries.
Key things
- Rubio’s testimony may affect the US diplomatic stance toward both Iran and Cuba.
- Growing bipartisan concerns about the costs and consequences of the Iran conflict signal potential shifts in congressional support.
- The dynamic within the Republican Party is changing, with some Republicans willing to challenge Trump’s foreign policy decisions.
