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The Australian
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Australian
US Senate effort to restrain Trump's war powers fails
An effort by US Senate Democrats to prevent President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Iran without congressional approval was blocked by Republicans, who argued the commander in chief was within his rights to launch strikes on nuclear sites a week ago. The measure failed with 47 in favour and 53 opposed on Friday, largely along party lines, shy of the required simple majority in the GOP-controlled chamber. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania sided with Republicans in voting against the measure, while GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with the Democrats in backing it. The US launched pre-emptive military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities last Saturday, citing Tehran's progress toward completing a nuclear weapon. Trump characterised the attacks as a complete success and later announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that has halted the conflict for now. Democrats and some Republicans said Trump should have come to Congress before attacking, arguing Iran didn't present an imminent threat to America. They said they were also leery of the US potentially stumbling into another overseas war, following long fights in Iran and Afghanistan. 'Wars are easy to start. But they are hard to end, and that's why the founders wanted us to debate them before the American people,' Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.) said in a speech on the Senate floor. The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.), would have ordered the removal of US troops 'from hostilities against' Iran and made it clear that Congress needs to approve further attacks. 'War is too big an issue to leave to the moods and the whims and the daily vibes of any one person,' Kaine said in a Senate floor speech prior to the vote. Paul, in explaining his vote, said that ordering US military troops into war 'is the most consequential and humbling responsibility that Congress is entrusted with,' he said in a speech on the Senate floor prior to the vote. But most Republicans said Trump, as the US military's top leader, was within his authority to launch the strikes. Some, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), said this week that they believe that the War Powers Resolution, the 1970s law that attempts to rein in the president's powers, is unconstitutional. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.) called the Kaine resolution ill-conceived and said that had Trump consulted Congress, the element of surprise would have been lost. 'I cannot and I will not support a resolution that removes the ability of the president of the United States to act decisively in defence of national interests, our allies and our armed forces,' he said. Senators were briefed on the Iran strikes on Thursday. Emerging from the closed-door briefing, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said that the country's 'operational capability was obliterated.' Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) said 'it's safe to say that we have struck a major blow' against Iran's nuclear program. Democrats said they agreed that the sites were significantly damaged but said they needed more information to be convinced that Iran's nuclear program was set back by more than a few months and that Trump had a longer-term plan. 'We all agree that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon, but bombing is not the best, most sustainable way of achieving that goal, and nothing I heard yesterday at the intelligence briefing changes that assessment,' said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.). Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said he left the briefing with more questions than answers. 'There is no coherent strategy, no end game, no plan,' he said. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) have criticised Trump for waiting days to send US intelligence officials to share classified details about the operations with lawmakers. Neither lawmaker was extensively briefed prior to the strikes. Dow Jones Newswires Read related topics: Donald Trump The Wall Street Journal Only a select few researchers have the skills for the hottest area in tech. Mark Zuckerberg and his rivals want to hire them, even if it takes pay packages of $US100 million. The Wall Street Journal The US President calls Canada a 'very difficult country to trade with' and ends talks over tariffs on dairy products and what he called an egregious digital-services tax on US tech companies.
Wall Street Journal
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Senate Effort to Restrain Trump's War Powers in Iran Fails
WASHINGTON—An effort by Senate Democrats to prevent President Trump from taking further military action in Iran without congressional approval was blocked by Republicans, who argued the commander in chief was within his rights to launch strikes on nuclear sites a week ago. The measure failed with 47 in favor and 53 opposed on Friday, largely along party lines, shy of the required simple majority in the GOP-controlled chamber. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania sided with Republicans in voting against the measure, while GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with the Democrats in backing it.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Tusk's ‘Daddy' Jab Sparks Press Room Frenzy, EU Leaders Struggle To Keep Calm
'Led To End Of Op Sindoor': Cong Jabs Centre As Trump Teases Trade Deal, Takes Shot At Jaishankar As US President Donald Trump declared an imminent 'very big deal' with India, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre, linking it to the "abrupt" conclusion of Operation Sindoor. The US president has consistently stated that he utilised trade discussions with India and Pakistan to halt confrontations following the Pahalgam terror attack, although India has consistently rejected these assertions. Jairam Ramesh demanded transparency from the government and urged Jaishankar to focus on addressing what he called a collapse in Indian diplomacy, instead of speaking about the Emergency imposed 50 years ago. #donaldtrump #indiadeal #jairamramesh #operationsindoor #pahalgamattack #sjaishankar #indiandiplomacy #transparency #tradetalks #usindia #congress #modigovt #foreignpolicy #bilateralrelations #nationalsecurity #politicalcriticism #internationalaffairs #pakistan #emergency #indiapakistan #toi #toibharat 34 views | 47 minutes ago
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Led To End Of Op Sindoor': Cong Jabs Centre As Trump Teases Trade Deal, Takes Shot At Jaishankar
As US President Donald Trump declared an imminent 'very big deal' with India, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre, linking it to the "abrupt" conclusion of Operation Sindoor. The US president has consistently stated that he utilised trade discussions with India and Pakistan to halt confrontations following the Pahalgam terror attack, although India has consistently rejected these assertions. Jairam Ramesh demanded transparency from the government and urged Jaishankar to focus on addressing what he called a collapse in Indian diplomacy, instead of speaking about the Emergency imposed 50 years ago. #donaldtrump #indiadeal #jairamramesh #operationsindoor #pahalgamattack #sjaishankar #indiandiplomacy #transparency #tradetalks #usindia #congress #modigovt #foreignpolicy #bilateralrelations #nationalsecurity #politicalcriticism #internationalaffairs #pakistan #emergency #indiapakistan #toi #toibharat Read More
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kari Lake makes astonishing claim about congressman's 'gay lover' during off the rails congressional hearing
Kari Lake got personal Wednesday during a congressional hearing with a fellow a Arizonan. During an exchange with U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Lake brought up reporting of past rumors of the former Phoenix Mayor having a gay lover as an example of what happens when media agencies do not have a check on their content. Lake, the former failed U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidate in Arizona, is presently serving as a senior advisor at the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) which oversees Voice of America, the official international broadcaster of the U.S. Lake warned Stanton that without proper oversight of content, 'they could literally put out a lie about anybody here, and I know you've been the victim of that.' 'I remember the stories about you, where they said you had a gay lover,' Lake asserted. Stanton responded by asking the committee chairman to scrub Lake's remark from the congressional record. Lake, acknowledging the rumors about Stanton were 'lies,' said they could still be broadcast on VOA without repercussions. 'You couldn't pick up the phone, Representative Stanton, and call them and say 'hey, you're putting out lies about me' you would not be able to do that because they would sue you for breaking the firewall,' Lake charged. 'How would you like it if those lies were put on Voice of America right now?' Lake concluded. Stanton undoubtedly found the remarks about his sexuality to be defamatory, as he has been married to his wife for 20 years, and the couple has two children together. Stanton got under Lake's skin for highlighting her electoral defeats, particularly her 2022 gubernatorial defeat. 'You lost fair and square. Instead of conceding, you embarrassed yourself and our state by lying,' Stanton said, accusing Lake of playing 'toxic' politics. 'The American people cannot believe a word you say.' Trump nominated Lake, a former local TV anchor, to lead Voice of America, which counts an audience of 326 million and employs 48 different languages. Unable to receive rapid Senate confirmation, the president appointed her to an advisory staff role. The Trump administration, with Lake's help, have unleashed extensive cuts at VOA and USAGM, all but shuttering operations. One of Lake's early moves as a USAGM employee was to oversee significant restructuring at the agency, drastically reducing its workforce by 85%. Those cuts were rejected by VOA's CEO Michael Abramowitz, who filed a federal lawsuit to stop them. But the Trump administration appealed, allowing the cuts to remain in effect for the time being.
