House Republicans narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday aimed at ending the war with Iran.
This marked the third time such a war powers resolution has failed in the House since the conflict began.
Advertisement
The final vote was tied at 212-212, with three Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Tom Barrett (Mich.)—voting in favor of the measure.
Hakeem Jeffries crushed after election landslide
In contrast, one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden from Maine, broke ranks with party leaders to oppose it.
In the House, a tie vote means that the measure fails, so Democrats and their RINO allies will have to try again if they want to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to be commander-in-chief without interference from the Legislative Branch.
Supreme Court delivers major midterm election decision
Republican supporters of the president have cautioned that ending the war could strengthen Iran’s Islamic regime, which would pose a threat to the national security of the United States and its Western allies.
Advertisement
On the other side, this development represents another setback for Democrats, as well as a small group of Republicans, who have been advocating for Congress’s constitutional authority to control the use of military force overseas.
Chuck Schumer taken down… He never expected this to happen to him
Democrats are continuing to push for a series of war powers resolutions in the coming weeks, aiming to force ongoing public debate over the conflict and compel Republicans to formally defend the administration’s position.
The strategy is being led by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a collection of the House’s most left-wing Democrats, which hopes repeated votes will keep attention focused on a war many party members claim is unpopular with voters.
Supporters of the effort are also expected to gain backing from Golden, a former Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Golden said he opposed Thursday’s resolution only because it included a withdrawal deadline of March 30 that had already passed.
Advertisement
He indicated he would support a future “clean” version of the measure without that provision, The Hill reported.
“I supported this resolution when it was introduced, but unfortunately its proposed 30-day deadline lacks any real meaning now that we are more than 70 days into this conflict,” Golden said Wednesday in a statement. “It no longer passes the straight-face test. I look forward to voting for a clean, relevant resolution as soon as possible.”
Thursday’s resolution was introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, one of Congress’s strongest Democratic supporters of Israel.
Gottheimer had initially resisted calls to require Donald Trump to obtain congressional authorization before launching strikes against Iran, citing what he viewed as the threat posed by Tehran to the United States and its regional interests.
However, by the time the measure reached the House floor on March 5 — just days after the conflict began — Gottheimer criticized the administration for failing to clearly explain either the rationale for entering the war or a strategy for ending it.
The resolution invoked the War Powers Resolution, which requires presidents to secure congressional approval within 60 days of initiating military action if they intend to continue hostilities.
Advertisement
Gottheimer’s proposal shortened that window to 30 days.
A similar measure was blocked in the Senate on Wednesday, marking the seventh time Senate Republicans aligned with Trump defeated a Democratic-led war powers resolution.
The Senate vote did draw support from a handful of Republicans, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), and Rand Paul (Kentucky).
For the record, every president since the WPA was passed in 1973 was of the opinion that it was unconstitutional, though it’s never been challenged in court.
Also, it wouldn’t matter if Congress were able to eke out a win and pass a War Powers resolution, because Trump likely would veto it, and there isn’t the requisite support in either chamber to override a veto.
This article may contain commentary
which reflects the author’s opinion.
