The War on Iran once again avoids the U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday avoided another obstacle that could have restricted the range of options he continues to keep available regarding Iran.
Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives unexpectedly canceled on Thursday a vote on a resolution aimed at ending the war against Iran unless Trump obtained authorization from Congress, just two days after a similar measure was approved in the Senate.
The vote had been scheduled for late Thursday before lawmakers departed Washington for an official holiday recess.
The House of Representatives had already blocked three previous war powers resolutions in closely contested votes earlier this year, with near-unanimous Republican support, highlighting the strong backing for the war against Iran and for the president within his party.
However, the margin has been narrowing steadily. The measure failed to pass after a tied vote, weeks after the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28. Earlier indications suggested that the House would proceed with approving the measure on Thursday due to expected defections among some Republicans and the absence of other lawmakers.
Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters after the vote was canceled: “We unquestionably had the votes, and they knew it.”
He added that House Republican leaders had postponed the vote until early June, following the Memorial Day recess.
Democrats, along with some Republicans, urged Trump to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force, noting that the U.S. Constitution states that Congress — not the president — has the authority to declare war. They also expressed concerns that Trump may have drawn the country into a prolonged conflict without a clear strategy.
Most Republicans, along with the White House, maintain that Trump’s actions are lawful and fall within his authority as commander in chief of the armed forces to protect the United States by ordering limited military operations to counter imminent threats.
Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved a separate but similar resolution concerning war powers. The procedural vote on whether to move forward with additional votes on the resolution passed by 50 votes to 47, with four Republican allies of Trump joining all but one Democratic senator in supporting the measure. Three Republicans were absent from the vote.
