US President Donald Trump has criticized lawmakers, including some Republicans, for voting in favor of a resolution to curb Iran’s ability to wage war.
Thursday’s statement came a day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called War Powers Resolution, which aims to limit President Trump’s war-making powers without further approval from Congress.
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The resolution, which had previously been rejected three times in the House of Representatives, passed with a vote of 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats and passing the majority threshold.
On his online platform Truth Social, President Trump criticized lawmakers for passing the resolution “in the midst of final negotiations to end the war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
President Trump wrote, “Who would do something so unpatriotic?”
Efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire with Iran have waxed and waned, with the Trump administration repeating military threats and promises that a diplomatic breakthrough is within reach.
A recent round of negotiations has stalled, with both sides trading limited strikes. President Trump reiterated Wednesday that a deal could be reached by the end of this week.
Key issues include the future of Iran’s nuclear program and control of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration is reportedly finding it difficult to end Iran’s stranglehold on the Straits and is anxious to reach a nuclear deal that appears stronger than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an earlier agreement that limited Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.
President Trump unilaterally withdrew the JCPOA in 2018, calling it “stupid” and “flawed.”
In Thursday’s post, Trump specifically targeted four Republican senators who voted for the resolution, including longtime supporter Thomas Massie of Kentucky, as well as Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
The vote was widely seen as a reflection of President Trump’s weakening grip on some Republican lawmakers ahead of November’s midterm elections.
“Four Republicans, that’s a whole other story. They are grandstanders! They should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump wrote.
He also dismissed Wednesday’s resolution as “pointless.”
It is true that this vote remains largely symbolic. To be signed into law, the resolution must pass the Republican-controlled Senate, where Republicans control 53 of the 100 seats.
Still, Trump is almost certain to veto the resolution. Both chambers would need a two-thirds majority to override such a veto, a likely insurmountable hurdle.
Nevertheless, supporters welcomed Wednesday’s vote and urged senators to follow suit.
Many noted that the U.S. Constitution limits the president’s ability to wage war, and that the War Powers Act of 1973 restricts the president from continuing unauthorized military action for more than 60 days. The United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28th.
“The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to declare war,” David Janofsky, acting director of the Constitution Project, a legal think tank, said in a statement after the vote.
“Three months ago, the president illegally started this war. Now is the time for the Senate to finish what the House started and vote to end the war.”
Some pointed to the war’s knock-on effects on the global economy, including soaring prices for fuel and other goods. Polls have repeatedly suggested that a majority of American voters and a growing number of Republicans oppose the war.
“The political window for this war is rapidly narrowing,” said Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council.
He said in a statement that lawmakers “opposed this war of choice from the beginning and continue to hear from Americans who are angry that their elected officials are once again prioritizing military conflicts overseas and making the prices of gas and groceries soaring, making life more difficult and unaffordable.”
