WASHINGTON.— The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a resolution that restricts any military action by President Donald Trump against Iran in the future without the proper permission of Congress, amid efforts to reduce tensions with that country.
With 224 votes in favor and 194 against, the House of Representatives, under Democratic control, passed a resolution that requires Trump to end “hostilities in or against Iran,” unless Congress explicitly declares war or authorizes the use of the Armed Forces against that country.
Of the total, only eight Democratic lawmakers voted against the measure, and only three Republicans and one independent supported it, including Florida Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz, a strong Trump defender.
The resolution, proposed by the Michigan Democratic legislator, Elissa Slotkin, a former Pentagon and CIA analyst, is not binding but does have a great symbolic burden to "put the reins" on Trump and ease the tensions between the United States and Iran.
The measure incorporated an exception that would allow war actions to protect the United States from any "imminent attack."
Current tensions increased after the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani during a drone attack that Trump ordered last January 3. US government He considers Soleimani a terrorist, but his death has strengthened the anti-American movement in Iran.
Before the vote, Democrats and Republicans engaged in a hot debate about patriotism, the merit of the measure, and the effectiveness of foreign policy towards Iran.
Echoing his bench, Ohio Democratic lawmaker Marcy Kaptur said no one cries the death of Soleimani but Trump's untimely attitude causes "greater instability" in the region, and the measure only reaffirms the constitutional obligation of Congress.
His fellow Democrat from California and war veteran, Gil Cisneros, said that "it is time for Congress to regain its rightful power."
But the leader of the Republican minority of the Lower House, Kevin McCarthy, said Trump did the right thing by eliminating Soleimani, who "established a brutal reign of terror throughout the Middle East," and the Democratic resolution will jeopardize the security of US troops in the region.
For Republicans, however, the measure would tie Trump's hands at a time when, in his view, the United States must show firmness against adversaries.
The leader of the Republican minority of the Lower House, Kevin McCarthy, said Trump did the right thing by eliminating Soleimani, who "established a brutal reign of terror throughout the Middle East," and the Democratic resolution will jeopardize the security of US troops in the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgQPMIDOeVg&feature=emb_title
Gaetz, a member of the Armed Services Committee, was surprised to speak in favor of the measure by saying that although he supports Soleimani's death, he does not want a war against Iran.
Both parties maintain discrepancies over whether Soleimani planned “imminent” or future attacks, and whether Trump needs or not Congress's permission to carry out military attacks against Iran.
The Constitution makes it clear that, with rare exceptions, only Congress can declare war, and a federal law of 1973 reaffirms it.
Congress authorized the war against Iraq in 2002, when the Bush Administration argued that Saddam Hussein's regime then had weapons of mass destruction.
Those weapons were never found but, according to Trump's supporters, among them the legislator Republican for California, Tom McClintock, that resolution remains standing and, therefore, the president did not need Legislative permission for the attack against Soleimani, occurred outside the Baghdad airport.
For Liz Hempowicz, director of public policy for the Government Supervision Project, it is urgent that Congress stop any "wrong reading" of its previous authorizations for the use of force.
"Congress must act at once to restrict the unilateral actions of the Executive, if it wants to exercise its constitutional prerogative after decades of passivity with respect to its powers of war," said the expert.
The Democratic House of the Lower House had considered suspending the vote on the measure indefinitely before the attack launched by Iran last Tuesday with more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq, in response to the death of Soleimani.
There were no military casualties, and the attack was interpreted as a warning that Iran will respond to what it perceives as provocations from the United States.
The Democratic senators for Virginia, Tim Kaine, and Illinois, Dick Durbin, presented last week a similar resolution that the Senate could vote as soon as next week, according to legislative sources.
Under parliamentary regulations, due to the type of resolution presented by the Democrats - simultaneous to the one approved by the Senate and not joint - the measure will not require Trump's signature.
Leaders of both parties were dissatisfied yesterday with the explanation offered by the Trump Administration to justify the murder of Soleimani, claiming that he planned "imminent attacks" against US targets.
From his Twitter account, Trump urged Republicans to vote against the resolution, and insisted that it is another "farce" and "presidential harassment" of Democrats.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1215262141634306048
Two prominent Republican leaders, Kentucky senator Rand Paul and Utah's Mike Lee, considered the Administration's reasoning insufficient, which apparently urged lawmakers not to debate their decisions.
https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1215028542813220864
Lee, in particular, described as unacceptable, "anti-American and" unconstitutional "that the Executive prohibits debating the wisdom of" a military intervention against Iran, "and rejected the argument that the lower house's restrictions would only serve to" embolden to Iran. "
Speaking today to the press, Trump showed surprise at Lee's reaction, and insisted that he authorized the murder of Soleimani because he was "a total monster, and we eliminated him" to curb his plans to "blow up our embassy."
Asked about whether he would seek permission from Congress to launch more attacks against Iran, Trump said he would "depend on the circumstance." He subsequently argued that "he would not mind" doing so but it is not his obligation either, because "decisions are made in a matter of seconds."
During a television speech yesterday, Trump announced new sanctions against Iran, urged the NATO transatlantic organization to become more involved in the pacification of the Middle East, and called on the international community to abandon the nuclear agreement that the US signed with Iran at once. in 2015
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