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Free Malaysia Today
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US Senate rejects bid to curb Trump's Iran war powers
US Senator Tim Kaine has tried for years to wrest back Congress' authority to declare war from both Republican and Democratic presidents. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : The Republican-led US Senate rejected a Democratic-led bid on Friday to block President Donald Trump from using further military force against Iran, hours after the president said he would consider more bombing. The Senate vote was 53 to 47 against a war powers resolution that would have required congressional approval for more hostilities against Iran. The vote was along party lines, except Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman voted no, with Republicans, and Kentucky Republican Rand Paul voted yes, with Democrats. Senator Tim Kaine, chief sponsor of the resolution, has tried for years to wrest back Congress' authority to declare war from both Republican and Democratic presidents. Kaine said his latest effort underscored that the US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the sole power to declare war and requires that any hostility with Iran be explicitly authorised by a declaration of war or specific authorisation for the use of military force. 'If you think the president should have to come to Congress, whether you are for or against a war in Iran, you'll support Senate Joint Resolution 59, you'll support the Constitution that has stood the test of time,' Kaine said in a speech before the vote. Lawmakers have been pushing for more information about weekend US strikes on Iran and the fate of Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. Earlier on Friday, Trump sharply criticised Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran, and said he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels. He was reacting to Khamenei's first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the US launched bombing raids against Iranian nuclear sites. 'Obliterated' Members of Trump's national security team held classified briefings on the strikes for the Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday and Friday. Many Democratic lawmakers left the briefings saying they had not been convinced that Iran's nuclear facilities had been 'obliterated', as Trump announced shortly after the raid. Opponents of the resolution said the strike on Iran was a single, limited operation within Trump's rights as commander-in-chief, not the start of sustained hostilities. Senator Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican who served as ambassador to Japan during Trump's first term, said the measure could prevent any president from acting quickly against a country that has been a long-term adversary. 'We must not shackle our president in the middle of a crisis when lives are on the line,' Hagerty said before the vote. Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to Iran's nuclear programme was not as profound as he has said. Iran says its nuclear research is for civilian energy production. Under US law, Senate war powers resolutions are privileged, meaning that the chamber had to promptly consider and vote on the measure, which Kaine introduced this month. But to be enacted, the resolution would have had to pass the Senate as well as the House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, said this week he did not think it was the right time for such an effort. During Trump's first term, in 2020, Kaine introduced a similar resolution to rein in the Republican president's ability to wage war against Iran. That measure passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, with some Republican support, but did not garner enough votes to survive the president's veto.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Messages From the U.S. Attack on Iran
To the Editor: Re 'The Perils of Unchecked U.S. Power Abroad,' by Oona A. Hathaway (Opinion guest essay, June 24): Many commentators, in this newspaper and elsewhere, have asserted that presidents cannot use military force without congressional authorization. This position fundamentally misreads the Constitution's war powers framework. While Congress holds the power to 'declare war,' this term was explicitly chosen in place of 'make war'' to prevent the legislature from requiring the nation to wage war by committee. The Constitution's true check on presidential war-making lies in Congress's exclusive control over military funding. Once lawmakers appropriate funds for military capabilities, the president's constitutional role as commander in chief grants broad discretion over deployment. This reflects the founders' deliberate design: Congress controls the sword through appropriations, while the president wields it through command authority. Historical practice confirms this framework. Since World War II, nearly every postwar president has unilaterally initiated military force without first consulting Congress, with George W. Bush being the sole exception thanks to the broad authorization for the use of military force that Congress passed early in his first term after the Sept. 11 attacks. Congress retains powerful tools to constrain military action: reducing appropriations, restricting funding for specific operations or eliminating capabilities entirely. But legislators cannot simultaneously fund military forces and then claim constitutional authority to micromanage their tactical deployment. Nicholas B. CreelMilledgeville, writer is an associate professor of business law at Georgia College and State University. To the Editor: There are many of us who opposed the U.S. decision to bomb Iran last weekend. Of note is the fact that, as a result of the attack, some reports show that at a minimum Iran's nuclear capability has been set back many years. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Arabiya
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US Democrats to introduce resolution to check Trump's use of military force on Iran
Three Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives introduced a war powers resolution on Monday to check President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran after US strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites over the weekend. Trump's Republican Party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and it is unlikely any resolution restricting Trump's actions could pass both chambers. Iran targeted a US base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation. The Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 when Israel attacked its regional rival, further raised tensions in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023. The joint statement issued late on Monday by Democratic US Representatives Jim Himes, Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith came hours after Trump claimed on social media Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. 'President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval,' the lawmakers said, adding that Trump ordered the strikes 'without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization.' Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers had called on Congress to rein in Trump's use of military force in Iran and prevent US involvement in the conflict. Many Democratic US lawmakers said Trump's actions were unconstitutional and that it was Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries. House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier on Monday it was not the time to consider a war powers resolution. Trump's allies insist he had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate what they called a potential nuclear threat posed by Tehran. The Democratic lawmakers said Trump's actions appeared broader. 'The president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat,' the Democratic lawmakers said, referring to a Sunday post in which Trump raised the prospect of overthrowing Iran's government. 'No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here - and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse,' they added. Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region. Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says its war against Iran aims to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not.
Globe and Mail
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
U.S. Democrats introduce resolution to rein in Trump's use of military in Iran
Three Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a war powers resolution on Monday to check President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran after U.S. strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites over the weekend. Trump's Republican Party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and it is unlikely any resolution restricting Trump's actions could pass both chambers. Iran targeted a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation. The Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 when Israel attacked its regional rival, further raised tensions in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023. The joint statement issued late on Monday by Democratic U.S. Representatives Jim Himes, Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith came hours after Trump claimed on social media Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. 'President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval,' the lawmakers said, adding that Trump ordered the strikes 'without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization.' Opinion: U.S. bombing raid on Iran raises countless questions despite apparent ceasefire Analysis: Donald Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear sites were 'obliterated' seems stretched Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers had called on Congress to rein in Trump's use of military force in Iran and prevent U.S. involvement in the conflict. Many Democratic U.S. lawmakers said Trump's actions were unconstitutional and that it was Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries. House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier on Monday it was not the time to consider a war powers resolution. Trump's allies insist he had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate what they called a potential nuclear threat posed by Tehran. The Democratic lawmakers said Trump's actions appeared broader. 'The president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat,' the Democratic lawmakers said, referring to a Sunday post in which Trump raised the prospect of overthrowing Iran's government. 'No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here - and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse,' they added. Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says its war against Iran aims to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not.
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US Democrats introduce resolution to check Trump's use of military against Iran
WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Three Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a war powers resolution on Monday to check President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran after U.S. strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites, opens new tab over the weekend. Trump's Republican Party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and it is unlikely any resolution restricting Trump's actions could pass both chambers. Iran targeted, opens new tab a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation. The Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 when Israel attacked its regional rival, further raised tensions in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023. The joint statement issued late on Monday by Democratic U.S. Representatives Jim Himes, Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith came hours after Trump claimed on social media Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire, opens new tab. "President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval," the lawmakers said, adding that Trump ordered the strikes "without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization." Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers had called on Congress to rein in Trump's use of military force in Iran and prevent U.S. involvement in the conflict. Many Democratic U.S. lawmakers said Trump's actions were unconstitutional and that it was Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries. House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier on Monday it was not the time to consider a war powers resolution. Trump's allies insist he had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate what they called a potential nuclear threat posed by Tehran. The Democratic lawmakers said Trump's actions appeared broader. "The president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat," the Democratic lawmakers said, referring to a Sunday post in which Trump raised the prospect of overthrowing Iran's government. "No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here - and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse," they added. Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says its war against Iran aims to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, opens new tab while Israel is not.
