On Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a bipartisan War Powers Resolution in an effort to prevent President Trump from going to war with Iran without authorization from Congress.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a similar War Powers Resolution in the Senate. Americans can contact their House Representative and Senators and urge them to join the efforts to prevent war with Iran.
“The Constitution does not permit the executive branch to unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that hasn’t attacked the United States,” Massie said in a statement on the bill.
“Congress has the sole power to declare war against Iran. The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie added.
Khanna said that “no president should be able to bypass Congress’s constitutional authority over matters of war” and that the “American people do not want to be dragged into another disastrous conflict in the Middle East.” Polling shows that 60% of Americans oppose the US getting involved in the Israel-Iran war, and only 16% support the idea.
Fourteen other Democrats are original co-sponsors of the bill, including Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Gregorio Casar (D-TX), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Ayanna Presley (D-MA), Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY).