Democratic leaders of the U.S. House announced on Thursday that they will force a vote within the week on a resolution aimed at blocking any military action against Iran without congressional approval.
“This legislation would require the president to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “The Iranian regime is brutal and destabilizing, seen most recently in the killing of thousands of protestors.”
“However, 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,” they added. “We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress.”
The legislation was introduced last June by U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who have been highly critical of Israel and its government. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) announced on Feb. 20 that they would oppose the resolution.
During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, saying diplomacy was preferable but signaling willingness to act if necessary. Trump withdrew the U.S. from a multi-nation nuclear deal with Iran during his first term, citing concerns over compliance and oversight.
“We are in negotiations with them,” he said. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’ My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror —which they are by far—to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
