House Democrats tried, and failed, for a third time to force U.S. President Donald Trump to get congressional approval before continuing his war with Iran.
They came closer than ever before, however.
The resolution offered by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) resulted in a tie vote, 212-212, on Thursday—the closest that House Democrats came to requiring Trump to provide information about the war.
Three Republicans, Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) crossed party lines to support the resolution. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the only Democrat to vote against the resolution.
“This vote isn’t about whether we should crush the Iranian regime. We should,” Gottheimer stated. “This is about defending the Constitution, preserving checks and balances and ensuring Congress fulfills its responsibility as a coequal branch of government.”
“It’s a message to the president and his administration: Come to us and make your case,” the Jewish Democrat stated.
Senate Democrats failed on Wednesday for the seventh time to pass a resolution in their chamber requiring the president to go to Congress. They picked up more Republican support when Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted for the measure.
One Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), voted against it, proving to be the deciding vote, as the resolution failed in that chamber, 50-49.
The War Powers Act requires Trump to seek congressional approval to continue military action within 60 days of launching an attack, but he has not done so even as fighting has entered its 75th day.
“Congress still hasn’t been formally briefed on the objectives, our progress or what success looks like,” Gottheimer said on Wednesday during the floor debate on the resolution.
“The American people sent us to Washington to be their voice, their eyes and to hold the government accountable,” he said. “That’s not a partisan position. That’s our job.”
The resolution’s co-sponsors were Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas).
