Washington – Several members of the Congress in the two parties questioned the legality of President Donald Trump’s decision to Launch military strikes on Iran.
While the Republican leaders and many basic members held Trump’s decision to bomb the main nuclear enrichment facilities of Iran, at least two GOP legislators joined the Democrats through the Specter of the Party by suggesting that it was unconstitutional for him to bomb Iran without approval from the Congress.
“Although President Trump’s decision can be right, it is difficult to conceive a justification that is constitutional,” said representative Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who usually aligns with Trump, said on x. “I look forward to his remarks tonight.”
Representing Thomas Massie, R-ky., said in response At the announcement by Trump of strikes: “It is not constitutional.”
Mass introduces bipartite resolution Last week, seeking to block US military action against Iran “unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for the use of military force against Iran” adopted by the Congress.
In Brief remarks of the White House Trump defended the strikes on Saturday evening but did not mention the basis of his legal authority to launch them without the congress giving him this power.
Trump also criticized Massie as a “lazy, grand and non -productive politician Sunday on social truth.
Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA., Said he was planning to force a vote on Its resolution To prevent Trump from taking military measures in Iran, unless it is approved by the Chamber and the Senate first. He described Trump’s decision “an offensive war of choice”.
“We are going to have the briefing this week. We will have a vote,” said Kaine on “Fox News Sunday”. “I know that many Republicans will queue and say that a president can do what he wants. But I hope that the members of the Senate and the Chamber will take their article I seriously. ”
The resolution becomes eligible for a vote on Friday, said the Kaine’s office, and it is “privileged”, so that it can force it on the ground. It would take a simple majority to pass.
The legal question stems from Resolution of war powersA law which says that a president cannot launch military attacks only in three circumstances: a “declaration of war”, a “specific statutory authorization” of the congress or “a national emergency created by an attack against the United States, its territories or possessions, its armed forces”. The Congress has gradually sold these powers under the presidents of the two parties in recent years.
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT., Reacted to the announcement of Trump in real time on Saturday during a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, slamming his actions as “very unconstitutional”.
“The only entity that can take this country to war is the American Congress. The president is not entitled,” Sanders told the crowd, who broke out in “No More War!” Songs.
Some Democrats have called an unpervantistic offense for the president to bomb Iran without approval from the congress.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., said that Trump’s decision is “absolutely and clearly indictment”.
“The president’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a serious violation of the Constitution and the powers of the Congress War”, ” She said on x. “He risked impulsively to launch a war that can trap us for generations.”
The representative Sean Casten, d-ill., Declared on social networks: “It is not the merits of the Iranian nuclear program.
Casten called the president of the Mike Johnson room, R-La., To “develop a spine” and to protect the war powers reserved for the Congress.
Johnson said Trump respects the Constitution as he sought to lay the foundations to defend his decision to act unilaterally.
“The president fully respects the power of article I of the congress, and the necessary, limited and targeted strike this evening follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under the presidents of the two parties,” he said in a press release.
Johnson’s remarks, as well as the support of Trump’s decision offered by the head of the majority of the Senate John ThuneRS.D., indicate that Trump can have sufficient political coverage to avoid the return of flame of the congress under republican control.
Head of the house minority Hakeem JeffriesDN.Y., said that Trump “failed to request the authorization of the Congress for the use of military force and risks the American tangle in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.” But he ceased to label illegal or unconstitutional military action.
Minority whip of the house Katherine ClarkD-Mass., Was more direct on the legal issue.
“The power to declare war resides only with the Congress. The unilateral decision of Donald Trump to attack Iran is not authorized and unconstitutional,” said Clark, Democrat No. 2. “In doing so, the president has explained our military and diplomatic staff in the region at the risk of a new escalation.”
The head of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer, Dn.y., responded by approving Kaine’s resolution.
“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation in something as consecutive as war with erratic threats and no strategy,” Schumer said in a statement. “We must apply the law on war powers, and I urge the Thune chef to put him immediately on the Senate soil. I vote for this and implore all the senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for this. ”
Meanwhile, certain Democrats, including the representative. Steny Hoyer From Maryland, former party 2 of the party at home, and representative. Josh Gottheimer From New Jersey, offered support for strikes and has raised any legal concern.
And senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania praised the Trump’s decision.
“As I had kept it for a long time, it was the right decision of @potus”, fetterman Written on x. “Iran is the main sponsor of terrorism in the world and cannot have nuclear capacities. I am grateful and praised the best soldiers in the world.”
Appearing on Saturday evening on MSNBC, the representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Who co-wrote the resolution with Massie, wondered if the anti-war voters who support Trump would support his move.
“This is the first real Crack of Maga’s base,” he said, noting that Trump’s rise in the 2016 primaries was helped by its transition to Slam President George W. Bush for the war in Iraq.