House Democrats have strongly criticized Republicans for abruptly canceling a vote aimed at restraining President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran, just before the Memorial Day recess. Lawmakers asserted that the GOP pulled the vote because they lacked sufficient support to block the War Powers Act resolution, which seeks to end the widely unpopular conflict.
War Powers Act Resolution
The resolution, which has garnered bipartisan criticism of Trump's Middle East policy, would mandate the withdrawal of troops within 60 to 90 days of deployment unless Congress has declared war or authorized military force. Public opinion also heavily opposes the war; a New York Times/Siena College poll indicated that 65 percent of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the situation.
On Thursday, Republicans kept a vote open on a bill to create a women's history museum, which ultimately failed. Representative Jim McGovern, the ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee, questioned why the House was not proceeding with the scheduled vote on the resolution.
"Are we not voting on it because the American people are sick and tired of this illegal war that is costing tens of billions of dollars?" McGovern asked amid heckling. "Gas prices are through the roof. People can't afford their groceries," he continued, prompting leadership to gavel him down. "You guys don't have the guts or the b**ls."
Republican Absences and Political Maneuvering
The delay followed Trump and his Republican allies defeating the reelection bid of Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a prominent critic of both Trump and the Iran War. Several Republican absences likely meant the resolution could have passed. Earlier in the week, Senate Democrats secured enough Republican support for a similar War Powers Act resolution.
Off the floor, Democratic anger was palpable. Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, a retired Marine Corps officer, told reporters that Republicans had "p***ied out." Representative Pat Ryan of New York, a West Point graduate, expressed fury: "These chicken hawk motherf***ers are gonna send us home for Memorial Day weekend, where I'm gonna honor my fellow veterans that I served 27 months in combat with, and they are gonna not even give an up or down vote on continuing this war almost three months in."
Administration's Stance
The Trump administration launched the Iran war in late February. House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted Congress should not intervene, claiming the United States is "not at war right now." The White House has wavered between calling it a war or a "skirmish." An increasing number of House Republicans have joined Democrats in supporting War Powers Act resolutions.
"I think the American public wants this vote, but somebody doesn't want to see the vote," Representative Lou Correa (D-Calif.) told The Independent. "Last time it was tight, right? And I'm hearing that we're going to have enough votes to pass it, so that's the issue."
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) mocked House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, also from Minnesota, for failing to secure the votes to block the resolution. "When the vote failed on the women's museum bill, they knew that they didn't have the votes for the war powers," she said.
Chaotic Day on Capitol Hill
The events capped a tumultuous day. Earlier, Senate Republicans met with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, amid questions about the new $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and its potential use for January 6-related incidents. Republicans then opted to go home rather than vote on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Shortly after, Speaker Johnson canceled all votes for Friday.
