US House lawmakers rejected a war powers resolution to halt Trump’s attack on Iran in a 212-219 vote, a day after the Senate voted down a similar measure.
The vote was 219 to 212, largely along party lines, in the House, where Trump’s fellow Republicans control a narrow majority of seats. Two Republicans voted in favor of the resolution and four Democrats voted against it, reuters reported.
While the tally in the House was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for, and opposition to, the US-Israel 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, narrowly controlled by Trump’s party, backed Trump’s military campaign against Iran in a vote on Wednesday
What’s ‘War Powers Resolution’
The War Powers Resolution of 1973, which provides for votes on the resolutions, says a president can only involve the military in an armed conflict when Congress has declared war or provided specific authority or in response to an attack.
Just before the resolution vote, House members from both parties overwhelmingly passed a measure “Reaffirming Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.”
However, the War Powers measure also requires unauthorized military actions to be terminated within 60 days, giving the Trump administration a deadline at the end of April to seek Congress’ approval.
‘Donald Trump is not a king’
“Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was quoted as saying.
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 ally of Trump, contradicting others. He said the operation is limited in scope and duration, and the “mission is nearly accomplished.”
Meanwhile, Johnson, R-La, a close ally of Trump, contradicting others, said, “We are not at war.” He said the operation is limited in scope and duration, and the “mission is nearly accomplished.”
US Iran news: What’s latest?
1. The US Embassy in Kuwait shut down after retaliatory Iranian strikes on the country, becoming the second American diplomatic mission to fully halt work as the war in Iran escalates. Kuwait is also where six American soldiers were killed by an Iranian drone on Sunday.
2. US President Donald Trump said Thursday he should have a role in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, raising questions about whether Washington and Israel seek regime change or policy concessions as the conflict has appeared increasingly open-ended.
3. Tehran has warned of the destruction of the Middle East’s military and economic infrastructure, and the war has rattled financial markets, with the Dow dropping 1,000 points as oil prices climb further.
4. The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, the Associated Press reported while citing officials in those countries.
