Latest effort to rein in Trump on Iran falls short in House vote

Washington — The latest House vote to block President Trump from taking further military action against Iran narrowly failed Thursday as the the war is approaching its third month and the exit remains uncertain.

The war powers resolution, introduced by Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, failed by a vote of 213 to 214, with one voter present. A Republican voted with almost all Democrats, falling just short of the support he needed for passage.

It is the latest test of Congressional support for the war that Mr. Trump has claimed for weeks will end “soon.”

Democrats in the House and Senate underscored the renewed urgency to limit the president’s authority over Iran after he threatened last week to wipe out “an entire civilization” if the regime did not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel for the global oil trade. Since then, US-Iran peace talks have failed in Pakistan, amid a fragile two-week ceasefire and the US imposing a blockade on ships using Iranian ports.

Last week’s episode, in which Mr. Trump threatened to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure, prompted some Republicans to express discomfortbut had little effect on how they voted on the authority of the president’s war powers. A Democratic-led resolution in the Senate also failed in a vote Tuesday, with only one Republican in favor.

House Democrats attempted to pass Meeks’ measure last week by unanimous consent during a brief pro forma session, but were blocked from moving it because the presiding Republican quickly left the session.

Meeks’ resolution would have directed the president to withdraw U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by Congress.

Three Democrats who voted against the latest war powers resolution in early March — Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Juan Vargas — supported Thursday’s effort to limit Trump’s stance on Iran. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat in opposition.

“The cost of inaction was far too high to tolerate. But now is the time to act,” Landsman said in a statement last month announcing his change.

Cuellar said his change of heart was not a rebuke, but a “reaffirmation of the constitutional role of Congress.” But he also attributed his decision to the lack of a clear exit strategy and answers from the administration on its goals.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky also voted in favor, while Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio voted present. Massie and Davidson were the only two House Republicans to break with Mr. Trump in the March vote.

Meeks said after the vote that he expected Davidson to remain supportive. He told reporters: “I expected him to hold on, but I’m going to have a conversation with him now.” Meeks added that he has been trying to unseat Golden “for quite some time” and that those conversations will continue.

In a statement, Golden said the resolution could jeopardize negotiations with Iran to end the war.

“The purported purpose of this and other war powers resolutions is to end hostilities. Fortunately, the United States and Iran are currently in a ceasefire and we are negotiating on critical issues of national security and international order,” he said. “Right now, a resolution like this would weaken our hand.”

Some Republicans have indicated they might change their vote if the war continues beyond the legal 60-day deadline, which falls on May 1. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 – which Congress passed in response to the Vietnam War to check the president’s authority to enter into armed conflict without legislative consent – ​​capped any unauthorized engagement at 60 days. But the law was widely considered unconstitutional by presidents of both parties.

Meeks said Thursday he plans to file another war powers resolution.