US House approves war powers resolution to halt military action against Iran

The House approved a war powers resolution that would halt the US military action against Iran defying President Donald Trump as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the threemonthlong war that has reordered politics at home and abroadHouse Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war abruptly shutting down floor action two weeks ago when the war powers resolution was on the verge of approval But displeasure has only grown as the conflict drags on and as Trump struggles to negotiate a quick resolutionThe roll call on Wednesday was 215208 and cheers erupted in the House chamber This reckless and costly war of choice needs to end today House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said earlier in the weekAll we need are a handful of Republicans to join us and we can end this reckless and costly war of choice a war that has cost the American taxpayer over USD 100 billion thats extraordinary and left our country in a weaker position relative to IranOpposition to war growsIts the fourth time the House has tried to curb the US war against Iran and the first time the House was able to pass the measure The Senate advanced its own war powers resolution last month when a handful of GOP senators broke ranks with the Republican president in a rare show of political pushback from his partyEach time Democrats have pushed forward the war powers resolution the vote tallies have inched higher as political unease with the US war swells Trump had campaigned for the White House on a promise to end US entanglements abroad and focus more on domestic issues but the war has shifted attention back to the Middle EastJohnson insisted Trump is laser focused on the domestic front particularly ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress The speaker said he spent three hours at the White House with the president this week as Trump is calling on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commerce especially the flow of oilSince the US joined Israel in launching the February 28 strikes on Iran Americans have seen gas prices spike at the pumps adding to inflationary pressure on consumer spending Iran has been able to interrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz a vital channel for a large segment of the worlds oil natural gas and related products such as fertilizerWere working on that final piece said Johnson RLa The entire world has an interest in the Strait of Hormuz being reopen for commerce That what hes working on While a ceasefire in the conflict was declared in April it remains uneasy and uncertain Talks for a more durable end to the fighting have dragged increasingly complicated by Israels broadening war with Iranbacked Hezbollah militants in Lebanon Meanwhile military strikes between the US and Iran continue to flareCongress exerts its war powers authorityThe war powers resolution from the House would not immediately stop the war but it would provide a symbolic if not legal step against further military actionIf approved it would then go to the Senate where four Republican senators last month joined Democrats in advancing a similar measure to curtail the US campaign against Iran The Senate has yet to take a final vote to approve or reject its own war powers resolutionSecretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday testifying at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that the Iranians would think that the administrations hands are going to be tied if Congress approved a war powers resolution He said they would think we wont be able to do anything to them so why make a dealIts not the only action Congress is taking in the national security arena as Democrats in the minority work to peel off Republican support for measures beyond the war against IranThe House is also voting Wednesday on another Democraticled effort that would authorise US support for Ukraines military operations as it battles Russia and to help reconstruct the wartorn country The House this week is also expected to consider a war powers resolution to block US action in LebanonWhile Congress has the authority under the Constitution to declare war the president also has power as the commander in chief to engage in military action creating a legal dispute over which branch of government has ultimate say in matters of war and peaceUnder the war powers act the White House has a 60day window to seek approval from Congress for military action The administration however has indicated that because a ceasefire has been declared in the current conflict in Iran the hostilities have ceasedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever