ALBAWABA - It seems US politicians have had enough of Trump’s unchecked belligerence, passing a bi-partisan resolution that seeks to force Trump to seek congress approval for military action.
On Saturday, the Iran War will have hit its 100th day with none of the military actions done in those 100 days being approved by congress, the only body that can declare wars according to the US constitution.
Trump is doing his best to not describe the conflict as a war; instead opting for terms like “skirmish” or “short-term excursion” highly reminiscent of Putin’s “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine; but it seems that US politicians are unconvinced, passing a resolution backed by both republicans and democrats to end the war and put any further military action under congress approval, as it is supposed to be.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Thomas Massie, a popular republican peg for the next republican presidential nominee, with the resolution passing in a vote of 215 to 208 on Wednesday where four republicans voted with democrats to end the war.
Still, the resolution passing doesn’t mean it’ll become law as it can face a presidential veto; but it highlights how Trump’s actions are upsetting both democrats and republicans, uniting congress against the current president only a year and a half into his presidency.
The vote on Wednesday was the fourth time this year that the house voted on the war powers resolution, with it failing every time, this time however it passed; signaling a shift in republican sentiment toward the incumbent president.
It seems the shift was masterminded by Republican Thomas Massie, despite Trump’s allies’ best efforts to sabotage the bill; with the voting supposed to take place earlier on May 21 before being adjourned by Trump ally and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Still, in Wednesday’s vote, four republicans: Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky splintered away from the Republican establishment to pass the bill.
With no shortage of backing from democrats as war costs grow, with the Pentagon estimating in May that $29 billion has been spent so far on this “short-term excursion” with some analysts, notably a public finance expert at Harvard University stating that the war cost could soar to $1 trillion.
As with every US war since WWII, the US public broadly disapproves of the war and the costs it brought with it, with a poll from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion found that 60% of US citizens disapprove, it was 54% percent in March. The increase was seen even among Republicans as it went from 15% disapproval in March to 22%.
Unnecessary deaths, high costs, and no tangible cause, or indeed result, for the war. The US public has had enough on the left and right; facing an uphill battle against Trump to put an end to the random belligerence, in order for a bill to become law it has to have two-thirds majority in both houses otherwise it faces a veto from Trump. It seems with every day that passes, this reality is getting closer.
