Senate to vote on Trump’s war powers amid US military strikes on Iran

The Senate is set to vote on Wednesday on President Trump’s war powers amid U.S. military strikes on Iran.Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is forcing the vote on a war powers resolution related to Iran, CBS News reported. In June, the Senate voted down a similar effort, after the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., cosponsored Kaine’s resolution, which would “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.”
“They have shifting goals, different goals all the time, different answers every day. And I am truly worried about mission creep,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday regarding the war with Iran.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has pledged to vote against the resolution, requiring the support of at least four other Republicans in addition to Paul for it to pass.
Even if both congressional chambers approved the resolution, Trump could just veto it. Democrats would need two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate to override his veto.
Kaine told reporters Sunday that the effort is unlikely to go anywhere, but that it’s important for Congress members to be put on the record about the war with Iran.
“If you don’t have the guts to vote yes or no on a war vote, how dare you send our sons and daughters into war where they risk their lives,” Kaine said.
Trump said Monday that the operation in Iran was projected to last four to five weeks, but the U.S. has the “capability to go far longer than that.” He also said the operation was “substantially ahead of our time projections,” but he has not ruled out putting boots on the ground.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday that the Trump administration’s actions are “consistent with what previous administrations have done” in prior conflicts. On Tuesday, Thune said that “the president was perfectly within his rights to take the steps that he took.”
Trump notified Congress on Monday regarding the Iran operation, noting that there were “repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior,” but that “the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable.” 
He added that “it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary.” 
Kaine said he could continue forcing votes on the Iran war in the coming weeks, adding that some senators who initially vote against the resolution could flip as the military operation develops.
The Senate vote comes ahead of a House vote expected on a similar resolution later this week.

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