Four House Republicans back ending U.S. hostilities with Iran
Four House Republicans joined nearly all Democrats on Wednesday to pass legislation requiring President Donald Trump to end U.S. hostilities with Iran unless Congress explicitly authorizes continued military action-marking a notable foreign-policy setback for the White House.
The bill passed 215-208 and followed a similar Senate measure earlier. rep. Jared Golden was the only democrat who had broken with the white House on earlier war-powers votes, and he supported the measure this time after backing a “clean” version last month. The Republican supporters were Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson, while rep. Kevin Kiley (an independent who caucuses with Republicans) voted no.
Ahead of the vote, Fitzpatrick said the White House didn’t lobby him, and Barrett gave a similar indication that his position was already known.The vote also came after House GOP leadership tried to delay similar action before the Memorial Day recess using a procedural maneuver.
Even if the Senate approves, Trump would likely veto. In a comparable earlier Senate vote, a 50-47 tally passed a version after three GOP senators missed, and Senators Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins supported it again; Bill Cassidy later joined GOP defections for the May vote after losing his primary.
The measure is especially significant because the Iran conflict has gone beyond the 90-day threshold under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, wich restricts unilateral presidential military action and requires congressional authorization after set time limits. The White House argues that the ceasefire and the dates of escalation mean the legal trigger hasn’t been met.
Four House Republicans voted with nearly every single Democrat on Wednesday to force President Donald Trump to end hostilities with Iran, handing the commander-in-chief a high-profile foreign policy defeat.
The House, in a 215-208 vote, passed legislation to “remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized” by Congress. The Senate passed a similar measure a few weeks back.
Recommended Stories
Rep. Jared Golden, the sole Democrat who defected on all three of the previous votes, voted for the measure after expressing his support for a “clean” resolution last month. All Democrats were joined by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tom Barrett (R-MI), and Warren Davidson (R-OH). These GOP members, minus Davidson, backed limiting Trump’s war powers last month as well. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), who caucuses with Republicans, voted against the measure.
Ahead of the vote, Fitzpatrick told the Washington Examiner the White House did not lobby him to change his vote.
“They know where I stand on it,” Fitzpatrick added.
Barrett echoed a similar sentiment, telling the Washington Examiner that “it’s pretty well indicated where I’ve been at on these things.”
This vote comes after House GOP leadership pulled a vote before the Memorial Day recess, through a procedural loophole, in an effort to delay the passage of this resolution.
JARED GOLDEN TANKS PUSH TO REIN IN TRUMP’S WAR POWERS AS GOP OPPOSITION GROWS
In a similar vote earlier this year, only Massie broke with the White House. This month’s vote tripled the number of GOP defections, ultimately leading to the passage of Wednesday’s resolution, introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY).
The resolution heads to the Senate, where its future is TK. Even if it clears the upper chamber, Trump would likely veto the resolution. The Senate advanced a version of the bill last month, 50-47, after three Republican senators missed the vote. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Susan Collins (R-ME) voted for the measure, as they had on previous votes. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined the Republican defections for the May vote after his primary loss.
TRUMP-BACKED ED GALLREIN DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE IN KENTUCKY
This week’s vote was also a bigger test of Trump’s war powers because the conflict with Iran has pushed well past the 90-day mark. The 1973 War Powers Resolution limits a president’s unilateral military action to 60 days before having to seek authorization from Congress. The law does allow the president to grant himself a one-time 30-day extension with limitations on offensive operations.
The White House has argued that the conflict, which started on Feb. 28, has yet to reach the threshold because of a shaky ceasefire in place with Iran.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
