Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are sharply divided ahead of a vote on legislation that would effectively tell President Trump to go no further in the brewing confrontation with Iran, with Congress likely again to fall short in trying to clip the president’s war-making powers.
The looming House vote Wednesday comes amid debate over claims, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, that Mr. Trump violated the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in green-lighting the fatal strike on Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week on a visit to Baghdad.
Leading lawmakers in the House and Senate, known as the “Gang of Eight,” received a closed-door briefing Tuesday afternoon on classified information linked to the strike by top intelligence, State Department, and Pentagon officials. Briefings for the full House and Senate are also planned, amid rising Democratic complaints the administration hasn’t made the case the assassination was necessary.
“One of the factors that led to the decision to strike at Soleimani is only shared with a handful of members the so-called Gang of Eight,” Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said at an afternoon press conference, “and they will have access to that but most members will not have access to that.”
He explained the bulk of the information that will be shared with all members of the House and Senate on Wednesday “will be the same as what I’m delivering to [reporters] here in terms of my views on the policy, the broader regional situation, the history.”
The nature of the briefings, which will be conducted by Mr. Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, “will be in a classified setting and be able to share more but the exquisite intelligence that we’re talking about that led to the decision,” the Pentagon chief said, adding U.S. officials believe the Iranian was days away from an attack.
But Mrs. Pelosi continued to sound a skeptical note.
“This initiation of hostilities was taken without an (AUMF) against Iran, without the consultation of the Congress and without the articulation of a clear and legitimate strategy to either the Congress or the public,” Mrs. Pelosi said shortly after the congressional leaders received their briefing.
Republicans, meanwhile, have largely applauded the strike and argue the move was in response to an “imminent threat.”
The Senate has also been presented with a similar version of the resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat, which would mandate the White House to end any military involvement in Iran that is not approved by Congress unless an imminent threat is posed to the U.S. or its allies.
Although the House resolution is expected to pass through the House and proceed to the Senate, where Mr. Kaine’s war powers legislation is likely to gain support, both are unlikely to receive enough votes to overcome a presidential veto.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell linked Soleimani’s death to the 2011 killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
“This guy was the worst of the worst,” Mr. McConnell said at a press conference. “Where is the bipartisan applause for eliminating this threat?”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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