Congressional efforts to halt the U.S. military’s operations in Iran have now failed twice, with the U.S. House tanking a War Powers Resolution only a day after it was rejected in the Senate.
Only four Democrats opposed the resolution in the 212-219 vote Thursday. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Don Beyer, R-Va., broke ranks and supported the resolution.
“The American people do not want a war with Iran,” Beyer said. “Trump’s war in Iran is not smart, not legal, not morally right and not in our national interest.”
The U.S. military is currently following up on the joint coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by attempting to control Iranian airspace and destroy its navy.
Most Republicans see Operation Epic Fury as a short-term operation against a country that poses a serious threat to the U.S. and its allies and has repeatedly resisted diplomacy.
But Democrats view the controversial activities – which have no set timeline and have led to the deaths of six U.S. service members – as equivalent to declaring war, which only Congress has the constitutional power to do.
A few key members of Congress had received advance notice of the strikes but did not vote to authorize them.
“The Islamic Republic is a barbaric, corrupt regime that has murdered, imprisoned, and terrorized its own people for decades,” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., told lawmakers Thursday. “I want nothing more than a free Iran and safety and security for innocent Iranians. That requires more than force. It requires seriousness, accountability, and a real plan.”
