‘Getting the cart ahead of the horse’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) argued Tuesday that it’s too early for Congress to consider legislation that aims to prevent President Trump from using military force against Iran. 

“I think we’re getting the cart ahead of the horse here,” Thune told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked if he would allow a war powers resolution to come up for a vote on the Senate floor.  

“This is something that’s happened the last few days,” the South Dakota Republican said of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. “I think the president is perfectly within his authority in the steps that he has taken.” 

Should the conflict “extend for some period of time,” Thune added, “there could be a more fulsome discussion about what the role of Congress should be and whether or not we need to take action.”

Thune indicated that his preferred outcome would be for Iran to accept Trump’s demand that it scrap its nuclear program.  

“Let’s hope and pray for the best outcome, the best solution, and in my view that would be Iran coming to the negotiating table and agreeing to end their nuclear program,” he said. 

The Trump administration maintains that it has not been helping Israel carry out its latest military operations against Iran, but the president’s rhetoric against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei notably heightened on Tuesday, and he’s reportedly being urged by Israel to assist in destroying Tehran’s below-ground Fordow nuclear facility. 

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced legislation on Monday that he hopes will “prevent war with Iran.” 

“It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States,” Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. “I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict.”

“The American people have no interest in sending servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East,” he added. “This resolution will ensure that if we decide to place our nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.”

In the House, members of the far-left “Squad” of Democratic lawmakers have endorsed companion legislation being sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). 

“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. “Congress has the sole power to declare war against Iran.”

“The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war,” the Kentucky Republican added. “Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.”

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Ayanna Presley (D-Mass.) are among more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers backing Massie’s war powers push.

No Republican members of Congress have co-signed Massie’s legislation.