*Some Republicans Joined In Too
US House of Representatives on Wednesday delivered a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump over his war on Iran, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.
The House voted 215 to 208 in favor of the war powers resolution, as four Republicans voted with Democrats.
The dissident Republicans were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Tom Barrett of Michigan.
The vote came nearly two weeks after House Republicans cancelled an earlier scheduled vote, on the grounds that they lacked the votes to defeat it.
The vote sends the resolution to the Senate, where the chamber must promptly take up the measure under the war powers law.
A handful of Senate Republican defectors joined Democrats last month to advance a similar resolution forcing Trump to seek congressional approval after four Republican senators rebelled and voted with the Democrats.
“Following repeated attempts to get sycophants in the Republican-controlled House to join us, House Democrats successfully passed our war powers resolution today to stand up for the American people and hold Donald Trump accountable,” the top three House Democrats – Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California – said in a joint statement. “It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”
It was the fourth time the House had voted on a resolution to rein in Trump’s power to continue the conflict, which has now been running for more than 90 days.
The 90-day threshold is important because the 1973 War Powers Act lays down that a President must seek congressional approval to continue waging war after hostilities have continued for that length of time.
The White House has rejected that argument, citing a temporary ceasefire that has been in place since 8 April – although it has been broken several times by the US, Israel and Iran.
The vote’s impact is symbolic, with the margin well short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto.
But it was a striking demonstration of the nascent willingness among a segment of Republicans to defy Trump, who has kept a vice-like grip on the party on Capitol Hill.
The latest vote comes as efforts aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement to the three-month conflict have yet to bear fruit.
