The House of Representatives passed a resolution Thursday aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran amid concerns about the escalation of tensions following the U.S. killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general.
Congressional Democrats have sharply criticized the Trump administration for not consulting Congress on the Soleimani strike and have accused him of recklessness in his decision-making on Iran.
“The American people do not want war with Iran. With the measure before us today, we are denying the president the authority to wage such a war,” Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
The vote broke down largely along partisan lines, garnering overwhelming support from Democrats, but 3 Republicans backed it and 8 Democrats voted against it.
The House measure’s sponsor, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., called the debate over war powers a “constitutional duty.”
“If our loved ones are going to be sent in any protracted war, the president owes our public a conversation,” she said.
Republicans criticized the measure, saying it had no teeth in curbing the president’s authority when it comes to Iran. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the resolution has “no power whatsoever” and called the vote “meaningless.”
USA Today
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