The House of Representatives has delivered an unexpected rebuke to Donald Trump, with both sides of the aisle coming together last night to pass a bipartisan resolution designed to limit his military powers.
Known as the “war powers resolution”, this affirms that Congress has a constitutional role that must be respected when it comes to waging war, and comes against the backdrop of the United States being engaged in a military conflict with Iran for over 90 days.
Last night’s vote was the fourth attempt to pass a resolution restricting Trump’s power, with the last effort being canceled by House Republicans as a way to (as per The Guardian) “avoid embarrassment” for Trump.
This time it passed, with the House voting 215 to 208 in favor. All Democrats voted for the act, along with four key votes from Republicans. Those who crossed the aisle were Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick, Ohio’s Warren Davidson, and Michigan’s Tom Barrett.
The resolution will now be sent to the Senate, where on May 20, they also voted to advance a war powers resolution by 50-47, with Republicans Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins all voting with Democrats. John Fetterman crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans against the bill.
“It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing”
In a joint statement, New York’s Hakeem Jeffries, Massachusetts’ Katherine Clark, and California’s Pete Aguilar celebrated the win, saying they wanted to hold Trump accountable:
“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. It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”
What this means legally is up for debate. Even if this bill passes in the Senate, it’s unclear whether it carries the force of law and, as it doesn’t require Trump’s signature he may simply choose to ignore it. However, the fact that several Republicans are willing to vote against Trump indicates that the legislative branch is unhappy with the conflict in Iran.
That comes against repeated polls showing low public support for continued military action in Iran, with senior Republicans now openly fearful that rising gas prices will impact the November midterms. As Mike Johnson said when asked about the Strait of Hormuz: “We’re really excited, anxious for that to be resolved so that people will feel that, and I think they will before they go vote in the midterms.”
