The US House voted 212-219 to reject a war-torn resolution to halt Trump’s attack on Iran, a day after the Senate voted down a similar measure.
In the House, where Trump’s Republicans control a narrow majority of seats, the vote was 219 to 212, largely along party lines. Two Republicans voted for the resolution and four Democrats voted against it, Reuters reported.
Although the House result was expected to be close, the result provided a telling snapshot of political support and opposition to the US-Israeli military operation and Trump’s rationale for bypassing Congress, which alone has the power to declare war, the Associated Press reported.
It’s the second vote in as many days after the Senate defeated a similar measure. The Senate, closely controlled by Trump’s party, on Wednesday backed Trump’s military campaign against Iran.
What is the “Separation of War Powers”
The 1973 War Powers Resolution, which provides for a vote on resolutions, says the president can commit the military to armed conflict only when Congress has declared war or granted special authority, or in response to an attack.
Just before voting on the resolution, House members from both parties overwhelmingly passed the measure “Reaffirming that Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.”
However, the War Powers measure also requires unauthorized military actions to end within 60 days, giving the Trump administration a deadline of late April to ask Congress for approval.
“Donald Trump is not the king”
“Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes that war with Iran is in our national interest, then he needs to come to Congress and defend it,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, according to Reuters.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that it would be “dangerous” to limit the president’s authority while the US military is already in conflict.
“We are not at war,” said Johnson, R-La., a close Trump ally, contradicting others. He said the scope and duration of the operation was limited and “the mission is almost accomplished.”
Meanwhile, Johnson, R-La., a close Trump ally, contradicted others, saying, “We are not at war.” He said the scope and duration of the operation was limited and “the mission is almost accomplished.”
US News from Iran: What’s the Latest?
1. The US embassy in Kuwait has been closed following retaliatory Iranian strikes on the ground, becoming the second US diplomatic mission to shut down fully as the war in Iran escalates. Kuwait is also where six US soldiers were killed by an Iranian drone on Sunday.
2. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he should play a role in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, raising questions about whether Washington and Israel were seeking regime change or political concessions as the conflict appeared increasingly open.
3. Tehran warned of the destruction of the Middle East’s military and economic infrastructure and the war rocked financial markets, with the Dow falling 1,000 points as oil prices continued to rise.
4. The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and about a dozen in Israel, the AP said, citing officials from those countries.
