President Donald Trump urged his Republican allies and Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, February 12, to vote against the Iran War Powers resolution.
In a tweet, he reiterated, "It is very important for our Country's SECURITY that the United States Senate not vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution. We are doing very well with Iran and this is not the time to show weakness. Americans overwhelmingly support our attack on terrorist Soleimani..."
Furthermore, he cautioned the Senate, "If my hands were tied, Iran would have a field day. Sends a very bad signal. The Democrats are only doing this as an attempt to embarrass the Republican Party. Don't let it happen!"
He went even further by also directly calling on Democratic Senators to vote against the resolution already passed by the House of Representatives.
"Dear Democrats, Iran is now and has been for a long time the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism," Trump tweeted, adding, "They (the Islamic Republic leaders) never stopped promoting terrorism even after the Obama admin allowed billions to flow into their economy. Perhaps just this one time you could side with the American people."
The House, on January 9, approved a War Powers Resolution asserting Congress' sole right to declare war.
The symbolic resolution is non-binding, meaning that it will not go to the President's desk for a signature. "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," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
The Democratic-held chamber on January 9, approved the resolution by a 224-194 vote.
It came following heightened tensions with Iran after Trump ordered a drone strike that killed the Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) Qods Force, Qassem Soleimani. The IRGC then retaliated with a missile strike against two bases in Iraq that hosting U.S. troops
U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a companion resolution on February 13.
Democrats announced last month they had enough votes in the Senate to rein in President Trump's power to authorize military action against the clergy-dominated Iran without securing approval from Congress first.
They believe that all 47 Democrat Senators, as well as an unspecified number of Republican Senators, such as Susan Collins (Maine), Mike Lee (Utah), and Rand Paul (Kentucky), support the resolution.
However, on Tuesday, the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), had vowed to vote against the war powers resolution that would "restrict President Trump's military authority in Iran."
In a speech on the Senate floor, Mitch McConnell dismissed the measure as "blunt and clumsy," and stressed that if passed, the resolution "would tie our own hands."
