Amer Ishaq Soharwardi,
Bureau Chief
Washington
The historic day has arrived as on Thursday US House of Representatives voted in favor of a War Powers Resolution meant to limit POTUS military action toward Iran following an escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. The resolution passed, 224-194, mostly along party lines, but both parties had some defectors: eight Democrats voted against the measure and three Republicans voted in favor of it.
Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi, said “The Constitution of the United States calls that there be cooperation when initiating hostilities.” We deserve the respect from the administration and that Congress deserves under the Constitution The resolution is non-binding but is meant to reassert congressional authority and rebuke Trump’s decision to take out Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike last Friday while he traveled to an airport in Baghdad, Iraq. Trump did not consult with congressional leaders ahead of the attack that killed the Iranian military leader and afterward sent Congress a notification explaining the rationale but kept it classified.
The resolution “requires the president to consult with Congress ‘in every possible instance’ before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities. The measure also handcuffs Trump when it comes to future strikes. The resolution says that “Congress has not authorized the president to use military force against Iran.” The measure “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 there is a specific blessing by Congress.
The first War Powers Resolution was passed in 1973 in an effort to prevent presidents from using the military without congressional approval. Since then, questions of presidential compliance have become common, with controversy stemming from former President Bill Clinton’s actions in Kosovo and former President Obama’s operations in Libya.Congress has allowed its war powers role to erode since the passage of the Authorization for Use of Military Force in 2001 to fight terrorism after the 9/11 attacks, and passage of another AUMF for the invasion of Iraq in 2002.Trump has slammed the War Powers Resolution as “unconstitutional” and called on it to be repealed
The House vote on Thursday 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 details about why the attack was justified.With this resolution comes the new discussion that can this President Trump be stopped or some thing more bigger is coming in the name of national interest .
