Senate resolution to limit Trump's military authority on Iran has enough Republican votes to pass
Source: Washington Post
A resolution to curb President Trumps military authority in Iran has enough votes to pass the Senate, leading Democrats announced Tuesday, stating that Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins will join three other members of the GOP who had previously announced their support for the measure to invoke Congress war powers.
We now have the 51 votes that we need for the version thats the bipartisan version, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the author of the resolution, told reporters, noting that Republican Sens. Collins, Todd C. Young (Ind.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) had decided to join all 47 Democrats in backing the measure.Collins declined to comment about her vote slightly before Kaines announcement, stating that she would release a statement soon.
Kaine has been working with those four Republican senators and others to make changes to the resolution since releasing an original draft just a day after Trump approved the strike to kill top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Lee and Paul were the first Republicans to declare their support for the measure, after an administration briefing last week they found both frustrating and insulting, noting how officials refused to say when, if ever, they would consult Congress before launching such a strike and urging lawmakers to fall in line behind the president.
But Senate Republicans pressed Kaine to make changes to the bill, particularly its many references to Trump and his administrations stance and past statements regarding Iran. Those have been removed from the amended draft that earned the support of enough Republicans to let it pass the Senate when it is brought to a vote as soon as next week. But by next week, supporters will be competing for floor time with the impeachment calendar, and the timing for the war powers resolution is not yet certain.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-resolution-to-limit-trumps-military-authority-on-iran-has-enough-gop-votes-to-pass-key-democrats-say/2020/01/14/33684f50-3706-11ea-bb7b-265f4554af6d_story.html
Full headline: Senate resolution to limit Trumps military authority on Iran has enough Republican votes to pass, key Democrat says
Original article -
Jan. 14, 2020 at 3:24 p.m. EST
Four Republicans have agreed to vote with Democrats in support of the measure, according to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who wrote the legislation that seeks to prevent President Trump from further escalating hostilities with Iran.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2020/01/14/senate-resolution-to-limit-trumps-military-authority-on-iran-has-enough-republican-votes-to-pass-key-democrat-says/
Flaleftist
(3,473 posts)Of course, we can still expect a Twitter fit.
BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)But it's a shot across the bow...
Midnight Writer
(21,788 posts)Don't put up with this crap, Mr. President. Hit'em hard and hit'em where it hurts. Accuse them of being terrorist sympathizers. Insult their wives. Tell your followers to harass them in public.
Go Go Go!
Calista241
(5,586 posts)It doesn't come up in the Senate unless Mitch makes it happen.
murielm99
(30,755 posts)If h does not present the bill, we must see to it that it gets plenty of publicity.
LTTEs are still a good method.
True Blue American
(17,988 posts)Mitch can not stop it.
murielm99
(30,755 posts)I feel ignorant.
True Blue American
(17,988 posts)Experts say that a War powers vote can not be blocked by McConnell. That is all I know.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-14/senate-war-powers-resolution-has-51-votes-democrat-kaine-says
yellowdogintexas
(22,270 posts)He blocks everything that comes across from the House of course
BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)or their own related version -
"This is a statement of the Congress of the United States. I will not have that statement diminished by having the president veto it or not," Pelosi said.
A senior Democratic aide noted that the War Powers Act sets out a clear process for the House legislation. The law says "forces shall be removed by the president if Congress so directs by concurrent resolution."
/snip
Because the resolution is privileged, the Senate could be forced to vote on it or a similar resolution that has been introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/pelosi-says-house-send-clear-war-powers-statement-trump-thursday-n1113006
And apparently this does not go to the President as "legislation". It is a Concurrent Resolution (basically establishing the "sense of Congress" ).
True Blue American
(17,988 posts)That was my understanding that it was a War Powers vote, but that explains it.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,654 posts)"The resolution is privileged, meaning Republicans opposed to the measure cannot block it from coming to a vote once it is ripe. It also means that supporters must secure only a simple majority of the Senate, 51 votes, for it to pass."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-resolution-to-limit-trumps-military-authority-on-iran-has-enough-gop-votes-to-pass-key-democrats-say/2020/01/14/33684f50-3706-11ea-bb7b-265f4554af6d_story.html
Now if someone would just explain what privileged and ripe means in this context, I might understand it too.
Seriously, I've been doing some research today and can't find anything that spells out clearly what exactly this means. In the end though, I'm wondering if any of this would actually have teeth. It's not like laws mean anything to Trump anyway. All of it seems rather academic and ceremonial to me under the circumstances.
lark
(23,147 posts)He had other ways he's protecting himself and his friend in treachery - Impotus3 - from facing the music for his blatant criminality and treason to this country.
BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)Vinca
(50,302 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,376 posts)It's more a "Statement" from Congress to the Executive... https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142419026#post13
11 Bravo
(23,926 posts)Flaleftist
(3,473 posts)But that would work too.
True Blue American
(17,988 posts)Trump wil not be able to do anything.
jdl123
(21 posts)As far as funding for war. You saw what happened with funding for border wall. The Supreme court ruled, he could take funding from the defense department to fund border wall and to hell with congress.
BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)Both Trump and McConnell need to think beyond their nose here. Further military action in the Middle East - regardless of the excuse - is deeply unpopular. Its the issue that can cost republicans their jobs. Short term this may keep Mitch in Donnys good graces but the long term consequences could be dire.
11 Bravo
(23,926 posts)Perhaps this will anger him sufficiently to double up on the chili cheeseburgers.
After that, it's all up to his seriously occluded arteries.