US House votes to curb Trump’s Iran war powers but Senate backs president

WASHINGTON: The Republican-led US House of Representatives backed a resolution on Thursday directing President Donald Trump to halt US military action against Iran unless he obtains Congress’ approval, but the Senate voted hours later to block a separate, similar measure.

The House vote, the latest rebuke of Trump from Congress, was 214-208 in favour of the war powers resolution as four Republicans joined Democrats in voting for it.

But the Senate voted 49 to 47 to block its own war powers measure within hours of the House vote.

US Senate votes to halt Iran war in latest rebuke of Trump

The House resolution, introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, directed Trump “to remove the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities” against Iran unless Congress authorizes it.

However, it was largely symbolic. Lawmakers have passed similar resolutions repeatedly since the US and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, but they have not led to a cessation of the war.

The four House Republicans who voted in favour were Tom Barrett of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

In the Senate procedural vote, Republican Susan Collins of Maine voted with Democrats in favor of the resolution and Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans against it. Four Republican senators did not vote.

Trump’s Republicans hold slim majorities in the House and Senate.

The votes reflected growing frustration among lawmakers, including some Republicans as well as Democrats, about a conflict that Trump pitched as a quick, focused effort that would trigger Iran’s capitulation but instead has become a morass for the United States.

Midterms loom

After the vote, Jayapal told reporters she was delighted with the House result. “This is not a partisan issue. Vast majorities of Americans, of all parties, believe that this is an unconstitutional and illegal war that needs to stop,” she said, citing the deaths of troops and civilians and higher fuel costs due to the conflict.

Ahead of November midterm elections in which polls show Trump’s Republicans facing a difficult fight to keep their House of Representatives and Senate majorities, Democrats are seeking to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.

However, opponents of the resolutions criticized their supporters as seeking to score political points and undercut the president at a time of war.

“This regime that we are fighting does not care about our partisan politics,” Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana said in a speech in which he accused the resolution’s supporters of “defending these lunatics who want us all dead” and praised Trump for attacking Iran.

The US Constitution gives only Congress, not the president, the power to authorize the use of military force and send troops into foreign conflicts, although there is significant precedent for presidents ordering short-term operations to counter an immediate threat.

Trump recently announced a ramp-up in attacks on Iran, and the deaths of more US service members. Trump on Thursday promised “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies, after the Yemeni fighters struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint.

Additionally, two weeks since the effective collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, the US military launched another nightly round of airstrikes on Iran, prompting Iran to fire at US bases in neighbouring countries.