US House Votes To Limit Trump’s Ability to Wage War with Iran after Assassinating Soleimani

By Staff, Agencies

The House of Representatives passed a resolution Thursday aimed at curbing US President Donald Trump's ability to wage war against Iran amid concerns about the escalation of tensions following the US assassination of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, and Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi resistance group’s second-in-command Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near the Baghdad International Airport.

Congressional Democrats have sharply criticized the Trump administration for not consulting Congress on the crime and accused him of recklessness in his decision-making on Iran.

Republicans, meanwhile, criticized the measure, saying it had no teeth in curbing Trump’s authority when it comes to Iran.

The War Powers Act of 1973 allows Congress to pass legislation to force a withdrawal when military forces are engaged in conflict outside US borders, but a 1983 Supreme Court decision said acts of Congress needed to be presented to the president to be legally binding. 

The resolution will now go to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration, though it does not have to be signed by the president. Passage would require four Republicans to join with Democrats to back it.

In a tweet Thursday morning, Trump slammed the resolution as "another Democrat fraud" and "Presidential harassment," adding that he hoped all congressional Republicans would vote against it.

Though some Republicans argued the Trump administration does not need further congressional approval for military actions against Iran, others criticized the administration's handling of the process.

The classified briefings given to all members of Congress on Wednesday left lawmakers split mostly along party lines. Most Republicans said they were satisfied with the administration's explanation for the Soleimani strike, and Democrats said they were "unconvinced."

In an address Wednesday, Trump said the United States would authorize further sanctions against Iran rather than taking military action in response to Iranian missile attacks on bases in Iraq housing US troops

"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world," Trump said.

In a statement released Wednesday, Pelosi said the House might consider two other pieces of legislation related to congressional war powers. One bill would bar the use of funds for military action against Iran without congressional approval. The other would repeal a 2002 authorization for military force against Iraq that administration officials cited as part of their legal justification for killing Soleimani.