WASHINGTON: A group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the United States has called on Congress to curb President Donald Trump’s military authority regarding Iran and to prevent the US from becoming further involved in the escalating Middle East conflict.
With Republican leaders in both the Senate and House strongly supporting US strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites, the chances of passing a Congressional resolution asserting war-declaring powers over President Trump appeared unlikely.
However, US Senator Tim Kaine announced that he intends to force a Senate vote this week on legislation requiring President Trump to end military strikes on Iran unless Congress explicitly authorises them through a declaration of war.
In the House, Republican Thomas Massie and Republican Ro Khanna are pushing for a vote on similar measures they introduced, aiming to place stricter checks on executive military action.
“This is the US jumping into a war of choice at Donald Trump’s urging, without any compelling national security interest for the United States to act in this way, particularly without a debate and vote in Congress,” Kaine told CBS’ “Face the Nation” programme.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were both informed in advance about the US military actions, according to sources familiar with the matter. Additionally, all members of Congress are expected to receive a formal briefing on Tuesday.
The attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday divided Trump’s populist MAGA movement, with some leaders rallying behind the president and others calling for an end to hostilities after so-called US “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, attacks on US soil.
“I represent part of the coalition that elected President Trump. We were tired of endless wars,” Massie told CBS. “We were promised that we would put our veterans, our immigration policies, and our infrastructure first.”
In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate that US intelligence communities continued to assess that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, noting that Iran’s Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not authorised the resumption of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme paused in 2003.
Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful and focused on energy production and medical research.
Another Trump loyalist, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, also criticised Trump’s decision on Sunday but insisted she was not being disloyal.
“I can also support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started,” the Georgia Republican wrote on X.
“He had all the authority he needed under the Constitution. They are wrong,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally who has long been a leading voice on US foreign policy matters in Congress.
