The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday rejected an effort to halt President Donald Trump’s air war against Iran and require that any hostilities be authorized by Congress, giving the go-ahead to the Republican president’s military campaign on the sixth day of the expanding conflict.
The 219-212 vote largely followed party lines in the House, where Trump supporters control a narrow majority of seats. Two Republicans voted for the resolution and four Democrats voted against it.
Those opposed to the resolution accused Democrats of bringing the issue to a vote just because they oppose Trump, putting Americans at 🏽greater risk.
“We all know we wouldn’t be here today if the president’s name wasn’t Donald Trump,” said Rep. Rick Crawford of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, during Wednesday’s debate.
The resolution’s sponsors described it as an attempt to regain Congress’s prerogative to authorize war, as provided for in the U.S. Constitution.
The US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Saturday, in a conflict that has killed more than 1,000 people, including at least six US military personnel, and caused damage and instability across the Middle East.
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Supporters of the resolution argued that requiring Trump to go to Congress for a war authorization would force him to explain to Americans why the United States is fighting and how it might end.
“This is a war of choice, launched by this administration without authorization, without clearly stated goals or a defined end point, and without explaining how they intend to keep Americans safe,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Shortly before voting on the resolution, House members from both parties overwhelmingly approved a measure ‘Reaffirming that Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.’
The vote would not have stopped the conflict, even if the Chamber had voted in favor.
To go into effect, the resolution would also have to be approved by the Senate and obtain the two-thirds majority necessary to override Trump’s expected veto.
Also controlled by a narrow margin by Trump’s party, the Senate supported his military campaign against Iran in a vote on Wednesday, voting to block a bipartisan resolution similar to the House’s.
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This week’s votes do not end the discussion. The War Powers Resolution of 1973, which provides for votes on these resolutions, states that a president may only involve the military in an armed conflict when Congress has declared war or provided specific authority or in response to an attack.
Trump and Republicans argued that Iran posed an ‘imminent threat’ so their actions complied with that law.
