The US Senate has adopted a resolution forcing President Trump to ask Congress for further military action against Iran. The proposal to curb Trumps military power was supported by senators from both the Democrats and the Republicans.
The curtailment was supported by 55 senators, 45 against. The Congress is thus sending a signal to the White House. There is just not enough support to defuse an impending presidential veto from Trump. A two-thirds majority is required for this.
Yet it is striking that senators from both parties join forces to further escalation with Tehran to prevent. Last week, Republicans kept the queues virtually closed when the vote was cast on the deposition of President Trump. Then only one Republican, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, agreed with the Democrats. Now eight Republicans voted in with it.
“Congress is about war”
“An offensive war requires a debate in Congress and a vote,” says Democrat Tim Kaine, who drafted the resolution and in 2016 running mate was from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “If we instruct our young men and women to risk their lives, we must do so after careful consultation by elected legislators. Not on the basis of the statements of one person.”
Trump said Wednesday that he is a strong opponent of the curtailment. “We are doing very well in Iran and this is not the time to show weakness. Most Americans support our attack on terrorist Soleimani,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “If my hands were tied, Iran would have had free rein. This is a very bad signal.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee explains it differently. “What the American people and the world see with this debate is that there is sufficient support for the US to choose a hard line against Iran. And part of that is that we want to be sure that every military action must be approved by Congress . That is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. “
How could the tension between the US and Iran increase? NOSop3 explained it earlier:
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