House Voted On War Powers Resolution & No Further Strike Against Iran W/O Congressional Approval
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Reigniting a debate over who has the power to declare war, the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday, January 9, 2020, approved a resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. The war powers resolution is not binding on the president and would not require his signature. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nonetheless insisted it “has real teeth” because “it is a statement of the Congress of the United States.” The measure will “protect American lives and values” by limiting Trump’s military actions, Pelosi said. “The administration must de-escalate and must prevent further violence.″ The House passed the measure, 224-194, with almost no Republican support. A similar proposal by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., faces an uphill fight in the GOP-run Senate. Kaine’s efforts received a boost Thursday as Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, an ex-Marine, said he might support the war powers measure. Two other Republican senators said Wednesday they would back Kaine’s plan. “We are members of a separate and distinct branch of government. It is our duty not to take anyone’s word for things as we are dealing with matters of life and death,” Young said, adding that he wished Trump administration officials had provided more intelligence information during a briefing Wednesday on a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general. Pelosi, in announcing the House vote, called the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani “provocative and disproportionate.” Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, denounced the Democratic measure as little more than “a press release designed to attack President Trump,″ while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California called it a ”meaningless vote” on a measure that will never be sent to the president or “limit his constitutional authority to defend the American people.″ The House vote came a day after the Trump administration briefed lawmakers on its actions in Iran. Democrats and several Republicans called the briefings inadequate, adding that officials did not provide enough details about why the attack was justified. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that Soleimani “was traveling the region making plans to bring an attack against American personnel and American forces.” He said it was not possible to share full details of intelligence with lawmakers. “When it comes to intelligence we have to protect sources and methods, there’s only a certain amount we can share with every member of Congress,” Pence said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “But those of us who have seen all the evidence know that there was a compelling case of imminent threat against American personnel.” Trump said Thursday that he “had calls from numerous senators and numerous congressmen and women saying it was the greatest presentation they’ve ever had.″ Referring to criticism by GOP Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul, Trump said: “They want information that honestly I think is very hard to get. … It really had to do with sources and information that we had that really should remain at a very high level.″ Lee, a conservative from Utah, said the briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials was “probably the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue,” in the nine years he’s served in the Senate. Paul, of Kentucky, said administration officials justified killing Soleimani based on the 2002 authorization of force in Iraq. “That is absurd. That’s an insult,″ he said.
Pelosi scheduled the House vote after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani killing by launching missiles at two military bases in Iraq that house American troops. No casualties were reported. The five-page resolution says “Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran or any part of its government or military” unless Congress declares war on that country or enacts legislation authorizing use of force to prevent an attack on the U.S. and its forces. The resolution’s sponsor, freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said it is intended to “make clear that if the president wants to take us to war, he must get authorization from Congress.″ If loved ones are going to be sent to fight in a protracted war, “the president owes the American people a public conversation about why, and for what ends,″ said Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who served in Iraq, in the video “House Votes to Curb Trump’s Power to Strike Iran Without Congress“, below:
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill tells Chris Hayes, “If our soldiers and sailors are going to be brave enough to go overseas to fight for this country, we in Congress have to be brave enough to engage in these debates.” in the video “Navy Veteran Rep. Sherrill On Why She Voted For War Powers Resolution, All In, MSNBC“, below:
If you’d recall some of the videos from our post yesterday, No WWIII Today, But Will There Be WWIII Tomorrow?
Previously, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) rails against a classified briefing on Iran, calling it “the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue.” in the video “GOP senator slams Iran briefing: It was insulting“, below:
Sen. Rand Paul rebuffs fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s response to Paul’s criticism of a classified Iran briefing, in the video “Rand Paul fires back at Lindsey Graham: That’s a low, gutter type response“, below:
Rachel Maddow rounds up the reactions of some members of Congress who were less than impressed with the Trump administration’s briefings on what imminent threat required the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani without consulting Congress on the use of military force, in the video “Congress Unimpressed By Trump Admin Explanation For Iran Attack, Rachel Maddow, MSNBC“, below:
Democrats say there should be no further strikes against Iran without Congressional approval. In a letter to House Democratic colleagues Sunday night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “The House will introduce and vote on a war powers resolution” this week “to limit the president’s military actions regarding Iran.” Major Garrett reports from the White House, in the video “House to vote on resolution to limit President Trump’s military actions“, below:
On Wednesday, January 8, 2020, Armed Services Committee member, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Col., along with other lawmakers has signed a letter demanding answers from the Trump WH on the killing of Gen. Soleimani. Rep. Crow joins Morning Joe to discuss, in the video “Lawmakers Sign Letter Demanding Answers On Iran Strategy, Morning Joe, MSNBC“, below:
Rep. Jason Crow believes it is time for tactical pause for both sides. He also feels it is incorrect to label Major General Qasem Soleimani as a terrorist, in the video above.
Congressman Ted Lieu of California speaks with Nicolle Wallace about the House vote on the War Powers Resolution and what’s next for the impeachment trial, in the video “Rep. Lieu War Powers Resolution: ‘This Is Going To Be A Bipartisan Vote’, Deadline, MSNBC“, below:
House votes on a resolution that would force the president to seek congressional authorization before taking further military action against Iran, in the video “House Conducting Vote To Limit Donald Trump’s Powers As Commander-In-Chief, Deadline, MSNBC“, below:
With the impeachment trial on hold, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said it will “probably be soon” that she sends the articles of impeachment to the Senate as she reviews the arena in which Trump’s trial there will be set, in the video “Pelosi says she will send impeachment articles “soon” as House votes on war powers resolution“, below:
If Nancy Pelosi will not have enough votes now, then GOP senators are simply waiting for Congress to become dissolved.
In the video “The War Power Act explained“, below:
President Trump’s order to kill the Iranian top general has sparked criticism in America, in the video “Pelosi: House to vote on resolution to limit Trump’s military actions against Iran“, below:
CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who called US President Donald Trump’s decision to order the drone strike that killed the country’s top military commander Qasem Soleimani an act of “state terrorism.” in the video “Iran’s foreign minister: Trump prepared to commit war crimes“, below:
On Jan. 3, 2020, Iran is promising revenge for the death of its top military leader, General Qassem Soleimani. The U.S. killed the major general in an overnight airstrike in Baghdad. Senator Lindsey Graham has said he heard about plans for the strike when he golfed with President Trump in Florida, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said top congressional leaders weren’t given advance notice. CBS News political correspondent Ed O’Keefe joined CBSN to discuss, in the video “Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke with Pentagon chief after U.S. strike on Iranian general“, below:
Adm. James Stavridis discusses Iran’s firing of more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces and why he says is Iran is neither reckless nor suicidal, in the video “US And Iran At ‘Last Exit Before The Tunnel’, Says Admiral, Morning Joe, MSNBC“, below:
News Update, Jan. 10, 2020, CNN’s Erin Burnett says President Trump is changing his story about the details that led to the strike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, in the video “You cannot make this up … but Trump did. – Erin Burnett“, below:
rump defends order to kill Iranian general, now saying Soleimani was targeting ‘four embassies,’ as lawmakers say they were never briefed on that intel, in the video “Trump Offers New Explanation For Soleimani Killing, Deadline, MSNBC“, below:
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said administration officials were vague in a briefing about threats posed by Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, in the video “Schiff accuses Trump of “fudging” intelligence on threat from Iran“, below:
At this point, I would like to recommend instituting routine mental status exam and mental health care provider for the White House.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
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