Breaking: House Passes Pelosi-Led Resolution Curtailing Trump’s War Powers against Iran
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The House of Representatives voted largely along party lines Thursday to pass a non-binding resolution aimed at limiting President Trump's war powers against Iran.
In a vote of 224-194, the House passed the resolution, with nine Democrats and four Republicans not voting.
Eight Democrats, including Max Rose of New York, broke caucus ranks to oppose the resolution. On the Republican side, three Republicans voted to support it, with Florida Representative Matt Gaetz saying in the buildup to the vote that while he supported Trump's decision to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, "engaging in another forever war in the Middle East would be the wrong decision."
I represent more troops than any other member of this body. I buried one of them earlier today at Arlington.
If our servicemembers have the courage to fight and die in these wars, Congress ought to have the courage to vote for or against them.
I'm voting for this resolution. pic.twitter.com/cSCBG7CmIm
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 9, 2020
Lone Independent and former Republican Justin Amash voted to pass the resolution.
Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Ca.) said it was "disdainful" that the White House did not alert Congress before the strike.
Trump defended his actions on Twitter and called Pelosi "crazy." He also said "I fully agree" with former adviser John Bolton, who called the 1973 War Powers Resolution "unconstitutional."
Smart analysis, I fully agree! https://t.co/0YMU7GunDt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2020
Pelosi announced the legislation in a statement Sunday, saying the airstrike was "provocative and disproportionate."
Pelosi tasked freshman Democrat and former CIA analyst Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.) to draft the legislation, which aimed to reestablish "Congress's long-established oversight responsibilities by mandating that if no further Congressional action is taken, the Administration's military hostilities with regard to Iran cease within 30 days."
Following a classified briefing Wednesday in which the administration answered questions on the intelligence which led the White House to classify Soleimani's killing as taking out an "imminent threat," Pelosi said the House would move forward with the resolution.
"Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward," Pelosi said in a statement. "Our concerns were not addressed by the president's insufficient War Powers Act notification and by the administration's briefing today."
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