White House updates amid Israel-Iran strikes
Washington — Lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle are looking to bounds President Trump's quality to bid U.S. strikes connected Iran amid its ongoing war with Israel, emphasizing that lone Congress has the powerfulness to state warfare nether the Constitution.
"This is not our war," GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said successful a post connected X Tuesday announcing that helium had introduced a measurement nether the 1973 War Powers Resolution to artifact U.S. strikes. "Even if it were, Congress indispensable determine specified matters according to our Constitution."
The Constitution grants Congress the sole powerfulness to state war, and the grade of the president's authorization to wade into struggle overseas without the support of the legislative subdivision has been challenged successful caller years. In 2020, Mr. Trump faced criticism for his determination to onslaught Iranian subject person Qassem Soleimani without notifying legislature leaders.
Massie's solution aims to unit the president to question legislature support earlier entering a warfare with Iran and would terminate the usage of U.S. equipped forces against Iran without Congress' expressed approval. It's co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who urged "every subordinate to spell connected record" successful a post connected X connected Monday.
"Are you with the neocons who led america into Iraq oregon bash you basal with the American people?" Khanna said.
The privileged solution would unit a ballot connected the substance wrong a fig of days. The House is presently connected recess, but leaders volition beryllium forced to prosecute with the propulsion upon their return. The ballot would enactment Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, successful a hard position, fixed his beardown enactment of Israel and the president.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, is starring an effort successful the Senate and introduced a akin resolution connected Monday that forces a ballot connected requiring Mr. Trump to get legislature support oregon a ceremonial declaration of warfare to onslaught Iran, unless the U.S. is defending itself against an imminent attack.
"This solution volition guarantee that if we determine to spot our nation's men and women successful azygous into harm's way, we volition person a statement and ballot connected it successful Congress," Kaine said successful a statement.
Kaine said Tuesday helium didn't person immoderate cosponsors to denote yet, but "I decidedly person interest."
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said helium isn't backing Kaine's resolution, telling reporters that "there's precise small danger" of Mr. Trump starring the U.S. into war. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, urged Mr. Trump to "go each in" if diplomacy fails.
"If that means providing bombs, supply bombs," Graham said Sunday successful an interrogation with "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "If it means flying with Israel, alert with Israel."
Mr. Trump chopped abbreviated his travel to Canada for the G7 acme connected Monday, citing the Israel-Iran conflict. After returning to Washington, the president wrote that "we present person implicit and full power of the skies implicit Iran" and warned "we cognize precisely wherever the alleged 'Supreme Leader' is hiding."
"He is an casual target, but is harmless determination — We are not going to instrumentality him retired (kill!), astatine slightest not for now," the president said.
At slightest 1 Democrat said helium plans to ballot against Kaine's resolution. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who supports preemptive strikes against Iran, said helium doesn't privation to instrumentality immoderate enactment that would curtail Mr. Trump's quality to destruct Iran's atomic facilities.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said his presumption is "no president tin weaponry different state without the support of Congress."
"It's ever been my content that you don't spell to warfare without the support of Congress and bombing different countries is evidently war. If you privation to bash that, you request to travel to Congress and inquire for permission," Paul told reporters Tuesday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an autarkic from Vermont, is pushing another measure to prohibit the usage of national funds oregon immoderate usage of subject unit against Iran without consent from Congress, but successful the lawsuit of self-defense. It had a fistful of cosponsors connected Monday.
Alan He, Cristina Corujo and Grace Kazarian contributed to this report.
Caitlin Yilek is simply a authorities newsman astatine CBSNews.com, based successful Washington, D.C. She antecedently worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a subordinate of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
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