TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States House of Representatives has narrowly rejected a war powers resolution that sought to halt President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran and require congressional authorisation for further attacks, according to Al Jazeera.
Lawmakers voted 219 to 212 on Thursday against the measure, preserving Trump’s authority to continue military operations. Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the House, largely opposed the bill.
The bipartisan resolution, introduced by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie, would require the president to seek approval from Congress before launching additional strikes against Iran, according to Anadolu Agency.
The vote followed a similar decision a day earlier by the United States Senate, which also rejected a war powers measure along party lines.
Under the United States Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. While presidents can order limited military operations, legal scholars have long argued that such authority applies mainly in cases of immediate national self-defence.
“Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case,” said Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Republican Representative Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the president’s decision to strike Iran.
Mast said Trump was exercising his constitutional authority to defend the United States from what he described as an “imminent threat,” and argued that the war powers resolution would effectively require “that the president do nothing”.
The current conflict began on February 28, when joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran and reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with several senior security officials.
Six US service members have been killed and several others seriously wounded in the escalation.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and countries in the region hosting US military bases, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Read: Trump Wants Role in Picking Khamenei Successor
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