The Republican-led House refuses to force Trump’s war on Iran, as does the Senate
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted narrowly on Thursday to reject a resolution that would block President Donald Trump’s war on Iran, one day after the Senate blocked a similar war-power resolution.
Taken together, the two failed votes in the House and Senate represent a clear authorization by Congress for Trump to carry out his military strikes against Iran, which began last weekend, even as the majority of Americans say they oppose war.
The House vote was 212-219. Just two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, broke with Trump and joined the majority of Democrats in supporting the resolution.
Four Democrats voted with all other Republicans against the resolution: Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Greg Landsman of Ohio, Juan Vargas of California, and Henry Cuellar of Texas.
The House passed a separate non-binding resolution, backed by GOP leaders, affirming that Iran remains a major state sponsor of terrorism. That vote was 372-53, with all absent votes coming from Democrats.
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., the same bipartisan duo that successfully fought for the release of the Epstein files, endorsed the legislation. It would have halted Trump’s military operations in Iran unless Congress voted to declare war or authorize the use of troops there.
Democrats pointed out that the Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war and that Trump and his top officials are calling it a war.
Even before the vote, Massie admitted that his decision would be defeated. But he said the vote represented a “victory in itself” because it forced a lengthy debate on the Iran conflict in public, on the floor of the House. He predicted that Trump’s war popularity would decline if it dragged on for too long.
“The fight has never been as popular as it was on the first day. And I think the excitement for this will go down,” Massie told reporters. He added that “as the true costs of this war become known and begin to pile up, there will be more support to end it.”
Six Americans have been killed in the war so far.
In his weekly news conference Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., criticized Trump and Republicans for plunging “America into another endless war in the Middle East, spending billions of dollars to blow up Iran,” but failing to focus on reducing the cost of groceries, health care and housing for Americans.
“What is the reason for sending American men and women into the theater, risking their lives?” Jeffries asked. “We have tragically lost six brave men and women, and we mourn for them, and we pray for their families, and we do not want to see American lives lost in Trump’s war of choice.”
Republicans acknowledged that Trump had a choice, saying the commander-in-chief chose to protect the United States from an “imminent threat.” The president himself stated that if the US and Israel had not carried out joint strikes, Iran would have attacked first and started a nuclear war.
“Defense is a choice. It’s a decision that everybody can make. Some people, instead of defending themselves, curl up in a corner and cry,” said Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Afghanistan war veteran. “Some people stand up, join the fight, and make the tough choices to fight the battles necessary to protect yourself.”
“I will also thank President Trump for protecting America from an imminent threat – an imminent threat that no other president has had the courage to fight,” he said.
In a separate vote Thursday, the House passed an appropriations bill to end the Homeland Security Department shutdown and fund the fledgling agency through September. But it is unlikely to become law as Democrats in Congress continue to negotiate with the White House over immigration enforcement reform.
The vote was 221-209, with four Democrats joining Republicans in voting yes.
This was almost the same DHS funding bill that passed the House in January, with seven Democrats joining Republicans in supporting it.
But it never became law after the Senate pulled it out of a package full of bills for a full year for other departments, as Democrats sought more changes to DHS’s immigration policies.
