Sanders, Ro Khanna push to block funds for military force against Iran after Soleimani's killing

Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Bernie Sanders at an April press conference following a vote to end U.S. military involvement in the war in Yemen. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called on Friday to introduce legislation that "blocks Pentagon funding for any unilateral actions" taken by President Trump "to wage war against Iran without congressional authorization."

The big picture: Trump claimed on Friday that the U.S. airstrike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was not intended to start a war. Both Democrats and Republicans — such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) — have criticized Trump for not obtaining congressional approval for the strike.

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Flashback: Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said earlier on Friday that he considers the strike an "act of aggression against Iraq" that would "light the fuse of war."

“We know that it will ultimately be the children of working-class families who will have to fight and die in a new Middle East conflict—not the children of the billionaire class.

...The House and Senate should pass our legislation immediately and uphold our constitutional responsibilities. We must invest in the needs of the American people, not spend trillions more on endless wars.”

Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna's Friday statement

Go deeper: The next move on Iran after Qasem Soleimani's killing