Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
(Photo by Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“Sitting and doing nothing is not an option and is eroding our democracy and system of checks and balances.”
With no end in sight to President Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran, Congress is being urged to take legal action to bring the conflict to an end.
Jamal Abdi, executive director at National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action, said on Wednesday that Congress must go to court to enforce the war powers resolution that passed in the House and the Senate earlier this year.
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“We are in a constitutional crisis and our lawmakers cannot simply roll over or bide their time as Trump traps the country in an illegal forever war,” said Abdi. “For the first time in US history, Congress has passed legislation mandating the president withdraw from the war, and now they must take him to court to enforce it.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution in July that would compel House Speaker Mike Johnson (D-La.) to sue Trump and enforce the will of Congress to end the war.
However, Abdi argued that US lawmakers are not moving with the proper urgency to stop Trump from continuing his illegal attacks on Iran, which have been carried out for more than six months despite receiving no congressional authorization.
“Congress must assert its authority as a co-equal branch of government and sue to end the administration’s illegal war,” Abdi emphasized. “We need urgent action, not more deliberation. Sitting and doing nothing is not an option and is eroding our democracy and system of checks and balances.”
According to Politico congressional reporter Riley Rogerson, Meeks on Tuesday said that there are currently no plans to bring up a new war powers resolution, although he didn’t rule out taking action.
“Democrats are unsure how long the House will be in before the midterms,” wrote Rogerson, “which makes planning a challenge.”
Johnson on Tuesday showed no appetite for getting Congress more involved in the conflict during a testy exchange with CNN reporter Manu Raju, who asked the Louisiana Republican if the American public should judge him for the negative impact the war has had on their personal finances.
“That is one of the stupidest questions you’ve ever asked,” Johnson replied.
“What, why is that stupid?” Raju asked.
“I have nothing to do with the prosecution of the war across the globe,” Johnson said.
Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution states that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war.
Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
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