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The Republicans have found themselves struggling to gather the required votes to dismiss the Democrat-backed legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to back off from the Iran war, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.
The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, to rein in Trump’s ongoing military campaign which he greenlit without congressional approval. The upcoming vote marks a rare defeat for the GOP, in so far as the Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass motions to dismiss the campaign, all of which have ended in failure.
However, this time it became very clear that the GOP would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, with party leaders declining to hold a vote on it, marking the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for Trump’s ongoing war.
“We had the votes without question and they knew it, and as a result they’re playing a political game,” Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the bill, said on May 21.
“The Republican-controlled House continues to behave like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump administration,” House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement.
“Republicans cowardly pulled a scheduled vote on a War Powers Resolution—legislation that would have passed with bipartisan support and required the President to end the conflict in the Middle East.”
Senate Republicans are likewise working to ensure they have the necessary votes to dismiss another war powers resolution that advanced to a final vote earlier this week, when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.
The recent actions from Congress leaders suggest declining support for the Trump administration’s handling of the war, as the topic has caused noticeable dissent within the GOP, with many party members becoming highly disillusioned with the war, and increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict.
House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that the vote was delayed to give lawmakers who were absent a chance to vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the House chamber.
