The vote concerns an important new measure that would require Trump to seek congressional authorization for engaging in war with Iran. The bill—sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia—requires only a simple majority for passage, so success, while unlikely, is not impossible.
Trump just told reporters that if Iran continues seeking nukes, he would bomb again “without a question.” He ranted wildly on Truth Social that Iran had better do his bidding going forward. Clearly his anger is worsening at seeing the success of his bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities questioned. This is not the time to send the message that Congress is uninterested in reining Trump in.
Fetterman also insisted he wants to “reserve the right” for future presidents to do the “kinds of things” that President Barack Obama has done in the past or that “Trump did with Iran,” which Fetterman supported.
The Kaine resolution would prohibit use of the armed forces for “hostilities” against Iran unless “explicitly authorized” by Congress, pursuant to the idea that under the Constitution, Congress “has the sole power to declare war.” Though Congress already passed a measure requiring congressional authorization for military hostilities—the War Powers Resolution of 1973—presidents of both parties have unilaterally launched various strikes and limited operations, culminating in Trump’s bombing of Iran.
An explicit prohibition against further warmaking by Trump is badly needed right now. It’s sometimes said that this debate is moot because Trump has already undertaken his bombing and Iran and Israel have reached a fragile ceasefire. But Trump’s conduct over the last couple of weeks has only underscored the need for Congress to get far more involved than thus far.
Then, after the bombing, Trump rushed to insist that the mission had been an absolutely perfect success in every way. He raged over an intelligence assessment that it had only set back Iran’s nuclear program a few months and that the enriched uranium had indeed been moved. And Trump officials gave senators a classified briefing Thursday that made things worse: As Democrats noted, it raised more questions than it answered about how the decision was made, what its impact has been, and whether we can trust anything the administration says about any of it.
“It would make clear that he doesn’t now have the power to bomb Iran again—something that he could face pressure from hawks and Israel to do if intelligence continues to reveal that Iran’s nuclear program was not completely destroyed,” Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at the Center for International Policy Advocacy, told me.
The arguments against the measure are bad. Fetterman says lawmakers shouldn’t “restrict” presidents from undertaking actions like the bombing of Iran. But under the Constitution, the president is not supposed to have unrestricted authority to do this in the first place. The power to declare war falls to Congress to begin with.
In the modern era, presidents have tended to argue that “limited” military actions don’t constitute “war” under the Constitution, enabling them to slowly expand their warmaking authorities. True, the debate over the Constitution’s exact requirements is complicated. But the case is strong that these actions do constitute “war” and do require Congress to authorize them. And whatever you think on that question, a vote for this measure would clearly define Congress’s role on this matter, ending any ambiguity. Shouldn’t Democrats want that?
Yes, virtually every Republican will vote “no.” But Democrats must be the party that stands on the side of congressional authorization for further military action—firmly and unequivocally. Democrats: You still have a chance to get this right.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Trump’s Fury Over Iran Failings Just Got Worse. Take Note, Dems. )
Also on site :
- ‘This is murder': Family remembers victims killed in Austin fire as 4th body recovered
- RHOM star Larsa Pippen got ‘boob job, nose job, BBL and fillers’ to look like a ‘doll,’ top plastic surgeon claims
- SHAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: Halper Sadeh LLC Investigates SGMA, NVEE, SOAR, PLL on Behalf of Shareholders