WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders vowed to force a vote on a war powers resolution to stop President Trump from launching an attack on Iran without Congressional approval.
The vote will take place next week when the House gavels back into session from recess and comes amid Trump’s massive military build-up near Iran during negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.
“The Iranian regime is brutal and destabilizing, seen most recently in the killing of thousands of protestors,” top House Democrats said in a joint statement. “Undertaking a war of choice in the Middle East, without a full understanding of all the attendant risks to our servicemembers and to escalation, is reckless.”
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) have drafted a bipartisan resolution under the War Powers Act to block Trump from attacking Iran.
Trump has been forced to contend with a multitude of war powers resolutions in recent months, including ones that have been dangled over Iran, Greenland and Venezuela.
The White House has successfully fended off the resolutions, with the one closest to being adopted — over Venezuela — having faltered in the Senate in a 50-50 tie vote last month.
Some open source intelligence indicates that close to a third of the US Navy’s deployed fleet is stationed near the Persian Gulf, close to Iran, including two US aircraft carriers.
As the Islamic Republic regime massacred thousands of anti-government protesters at the start of the year, Trump threatened on Jan. 2 that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
Ultimately, he backed down from attacking Iran, claiming the regime agreed not to hang hundreds of people in a concession to him.
Trump has since dispatched special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to spearhead talks with the Iranians over the pariah nation’s nuclear program.
The US has demanded that Iran end its three nuclear sites the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz locations — which the Trump administration struck last year in Operation Midnight Hammer, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Trump has not ruled out the possibility of military strikes against Iran, and multiple leaks indicate that there is division within his administration about whether to attack the theocratic regime.
“We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress,” the top House Democrats said.
Top House Democrats who signed onto the joint statement include House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), and Khanna.
It also includes the top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY); House Intelligence, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.); and House Armed Services, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)
Some Democrats, such as Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), have indicated they would oppose the war powers resolution. Khanna and Massie previously intended to force the vote this week.
