House to Vote on War Powers Resolution

January 9, 2020by Sarah D. Wire Los Angeles Times (TNS)
House to Vote on War Powers Resolution

WASHINGTON — The House will vote on a war powers resolution Thursday to limit what military action President Donald Trump can take against Iran after Democrats — and even a couple of Republicans — complained a Trump administration briefing on the justification for killing a top Iranian general came down to simply: Trust us.

Democrats said Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, CIA Director Gina Haspel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley provided few specific details in a closed-door meeting Wednesday about what imminent threat existed that warranted the U.S. drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Though there was some initial hesitancy among Democrats earlier in the day about moving to limit the president’s power in the aftermath of Iran’s missile strikes against U.S. forces in Iraq, by the end of the day House members said they were more determined that Congress needs to reassert its role in deciding when military force is necessary.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the vote in a statement shortly after the meeting ended.

“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. Our concerns were not addressed by the president’s insufficient War Powers Act notification and by the administration’s briefing today,” said Pelosi, D-Calif.

The type of resolution the House will vote on has uncertain prospects in the GOP-controlled Senate. Congress has never successfully used the 1973 War Powers Act to halt a president’s use of the military, though it has been used to influence how long and under what conditions troops are engaged overseas.

Members of the House and Senate emerged from separate briefings Wednesday with vastly different versions of what information they learned from the administration to justify killing Soleimani, an act that dramatically ratcheted up hostilities with Iran for several days.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said the evidence presented by the administration officials was so vague that it boiled down to “trust me.”

“I’m not sure that ‘trust me’ is a satisfactory answer for me,” Engel said.

Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., called the briefing “sophomoric, and utterly unconvincing. And I believe more than ever the Congress needs to act to protect the constitutional provisions about war and peace.”

An angry Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, scolded the briefers, who he said spent only 75 minutes with the lawmakers. He said it was “insulting and demeaning” to both the lawmakers and the Constitution.

“It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch to tell us whether we can debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention in Iran,” Lee said. “I would hope and expect they would show greater deference to their own limited power.”

Both Lee and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said that following the briefing they have decided to support a Senate version of the War Powers Resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. He is expected to force a vote on that resolution as soon as next week.

Multiple Republican senators said that little of the information presented to lawmakers isn’t already public information and that few specifics were provided about the threat the Trump administration has said it was attempting to stop by killing Soleimani.

“They made the case there was an imminent plan and didn’t give a lot of details on that plan, but did give details on the timing that would have made it imminent,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. That timing was closer to days than weeks, he said.

Several lawmakers said the administration officials cited Article 2 of the Constitution, which tasks the president with being the commander in chief of the country’s military, and the Authorization for the Use of Military Force passed in 2002 before the invasion of Iraq as the legal justification for the strike that killed Soleimani.

“I see no way in the world that an authorization to have war with Saddam Hussein has anything to do with having war with people in Iraq today,” Paul said.

But Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a Trump confidant, said when he left the briefing that the information shared was compelling and decisive.

“I think it leaves little doubt in my mind and certainly should leave little doubt in any member’s mind that not only did the president make the right call, but this was a clear and present danger for American interests and American individuals,” Meadows said.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said the House vote is unnecessary and the president was acting decisively to protect the public.

“Congress gave that authorization in 2002 and has never rescinded it. So the president was not only acting entirely within his authority, he had a fundamental responsibility to protect U.S. military forces,” McClintock said.

Pelosi’s announcement comes just a day after Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases where U.S. troops are stationed, damaging equipment and supplies but causing no deaths. On Wednesday both Trump and Iran indicated they are prepared to back down without further escalation. But several House members said they aren’t convinced the hostilities have ended. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said this is the time for Congress to reassert itself.

“I think many of us feel like that to the extent that we have the benefit of a pause in hostilities right now, that underscores the importance of using this time to move forward with some sidebars on this president’s authority before more bad things happen,” Huffman said.

———

Los Angeles Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

———

©2020 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A+
a-
  • Donald Trump
  • Iran
  • U.S. House of Representatives
  • War Powers
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Congress

    March 27, 2024
    by TWN Staff
    Rep. Cleaver New Co-Chair of House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., is the new Democratic co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., is the new Democratic co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. He was invited to serve as co-chair by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the co-chairs of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    New Dem Chair Kuster Announces Retirement Following 2024 Election

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition... Read More

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition in the House, revealed Wednesday that she will not seek reelection to Congress this year. In a lengthy statement released by her office, Kuster gives no... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    CPAC Releases Ranking of Most Conservative Members of Congress

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of the House and Senate based on their conservative bona fides or lack thereof. To produce this year’s scorecard, the CPAC foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability analyzed... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    After a Decade on Capitol Hill, Brad Howard Steps Out on His Own

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.,... Read More

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and communications director of the Blue Dog Coalition, Brad Howard knew it was time for change. “It was time to move into the private sector,” he... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Greene Files Motion to Vacate Speaker’s Chair

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed... Read More

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed a motion to vacate the chair of the party’s speaker. But this time, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., says the motion is intended merely as a... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Gallagher to Leave Congress April 19

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on Friday by announcing he plans to leave April 19, several months before his current term is up. Gallagher’s impending departure will further shrink the razor-thin Republican... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top