The House of Representatives on Thursday voted in favor of a War Powers Resolution meant to limit President Trump’s military action toward Iran following an escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The resolution passed, 224-194, mostly along party lines, but both parties had some defectors: eight Democrats voted against the measure and three Republicans voted in favor of it. Independent Rep. Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party last year, also voted in favor of the measure.
“We deserve the respect from the administration and that Congress deserves under the Constitution,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on the House floor. “The Constitution of the United States calls that there be cooperation when initiating hostilities.”
The resolution is non-binding but is meant to reassert congressional authority and rebuke Trump’s decision to take out Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike last Friday while he traveled to an airport in Baghdad, Iraq. Trump did not consult with congressional leaders ahead of the attack that killed the Iranian military leader and afterward sent Congress a notification explaining the rationale but kept it classified.
The resolution “requires the president to consult with Congress ‘in every possible instance’ before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities.” – READ MORE