Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a resolution Tuesday afternoon to block President Donald Trump from joining with Israel to launch military strikes on Iran, arguing the Iran-Israel conflict is “not our war.”
Massie, a libertarian congressman who frequently bucks his party on fiscal issues and foreign policy matters, is partnering with a cohort of left-wing Democratic representatives led by Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna to prevent the president from engaging in “unauthorized hostilities” with Iran. The war powers resolution is likely to be a symbolic measure due to House GOP leadership’s expected opposition to holding a vote on the president’s authority to strike Iran.
The resolution would require Congress to vote on allowing Trump to use military force against Iran. Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine has introduced a similar measure restricting the president’s war powers regarding Iran in the upper chamber.
The other far-left Democratic lawmakers also sponsoring the resolution include Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“We were lied to about ‘weapons of mass destruction’ in Iraq that killed millions + forever changed lives,” Tlaib posted on X Monday in an endorsement of the war powers resolution. “It’s unconst’l for Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress.”
Though Massie and left-wing Democratic lawmakers agree on little domestically, they are both fierce skeptics of military intervention abroad.
The Trump administration has thus far declined to join Israel’s attacks on Iran, but the president’s patience with the Islamic regime appears to be fraying. He has also not ruled out using military force on Iran.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon, referring to Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
The House is notably in recess this week. The earliest Massie and Khanna could attempt to force a vote on the war powers resolution is next Monday. House GOP leadership blocked resolutions seeking to block the president’s ability to issue tariffs from coming to the floor earlier this Congress and could take the same approach to the war powers measure.
Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine has introduced a similar measure restricting the president’s war powers regarding Iran.
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