'Not constitutional': Congress invokes new War Powers Resolution to reject Trump's strikes on Iran
Co-sponsors of the War Powers Resolution, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., were quick to criticize President Donald Trump for greenlighting attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran Saturday night.
"This is not constitutional," Massie said, responding to Trump's Truth Social post announcing the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran.
The bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike.
Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed on the strikes ahead of time.
"Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress. We need to immediately return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war," Khanna said.
This week, lawmakers sounded off on the unconstitutionality of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution.
The War Powers Resolution seeks to "remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran" and directs Trump to "terminate" the deployment of American troops against Iran without an "authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran."
As Trump announced his strikes against Iran – without congressional approval – Khanna said representatives should return to Capitol Hill to prevent further escalation.
In the upper chamber, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced his own war powers resolution ahead of the bipartisan duo in the House. While the resolution had been gaining steam with his colleagues, momentum could be stalled due to the strikes. His resolution is privileged, meaning that lawmakers will have to consider it. The earliest it could be voted on is Friday.
Kaine argued in a statement that "the American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran."
"And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back 'at least 2 or 3 years,'" he said. "So, what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war."This week on Capitol Hill, Massie, the conservative fiscal hawk who refused to sign on to Trump's "big, beautiful bill," built an unlikely bipartisan coalition of lawmakers resisting the U.S.' involvement in the Middle East conflict.
"This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution," Massie said.
Massie, whom Trump threatened to primary during the House GOP megabill negotiations, invited "all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution." By Tuesday night, the bipartisan bill had picked up 27 cosponsors, including progressive "Squad" members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.
Across the political aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her support, writing that Americans want an affordable cost of living, safe communities and quality education "not going into another foreign war."
"This is not our fight," Greene doubled down on Saturday night, before Trump's Truth Social announcement.
The bill's original co-sponsors also include progressive Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who called it unconstitutional for "Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump would make his decision about whether to bomb Iran within two weeks.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump said on Saturday night.
Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military leaders last week, which the Islamic Republic considered a "declaration of war." Strikes between Israel and Iran have raged on since, as Trump said he was considering whether to sign off on U.S. strikes against Iran.
The Jewish State targeted Iran's nuclear capabilities after months of failed negotiations in the region and heightened concern over Iran developing nuclear weapons.
But Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to Geneva, said Iran "will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes," as Israel, and now the U.S., have issued strikes against Iran's nuclear capabilities.
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