{"id":404,"date":"2025-06-22T13:19:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T13:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=404"},"modified":"2025-06-22T13:19:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T13:19:35","slug":"some-lawmakers-in-both-parties-question-the-legality-of-trumps-iran-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=404","title":{"rendered":"Some lawmakers in both parties question the legality of Trump&#8217;s Iran strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BREAKING: TRUMP JUST BROKE THE LAW, EVEN REPUBLICANS CALL HIM OUT!\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0TZ-JpdfwaA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 Several members of Congress in both parties Saturday questioned the legality of President Donald Trump\u2019s move to\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/live-blog\/israel-iran-conflict-rcna214241\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:launch military strikes on Iran;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"9\" data-v9y=\"1\">launch military strikes on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While Republican leaders and many rank-and-file members stood by Trump\u2019s decision to bomb Iran\u2019s major nuclear enrichment facilities, at least two GOP lawmakers joined Democrats across the party spectrum in suggesting it was unconstitutional for him to bomb Iran without approval from Congress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile President Trump\u2019s decision may prove just, it\u2019s hard to conceive a rationale that\u2019s Constitutional,\u201d Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who usually aligns with Trump,\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WarrenDavidson\/status\/1936589759914127700\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:said on X;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"10\" data-v9y=\"1\">said on X<\/a>. \u201cI look forward to his remarks tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.,\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepThomasMassie\/status\/1936574721312923803\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:said in response;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"12\" data-v9y=\"1\">said in response<\/a>\u00a0to Trump\u2019s social media post announcing the strikes: \u201cThis is not Constitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Massie\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/left-right-coalition-seeks-limit-trumps-power-get-involved-israel-iran-rcna213478\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:introduced a bipartisan resolution;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"13\" data-v9y=\"1\">introduced a bipartisan resolution<\/a>\u00a0this week seeking to block U.S. military action against Iran \u201cunless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran\u201d passed by Congress.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/us-strikes-iranian-nuclear-site-trump-says-rcna213781\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:brief remarks from the White House;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"14\" data-v9y=\"1\">brief remarks from the White House<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday night, Trump defended the strikes but did not mention the basis of his legal authority to launch them without Congress\u2019 having given him that power.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., reacted in real time during a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, slamming Trump\u2019s actions as \u201cgrossly unconstitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right,\u201d Sanders told the crowd, which broke out in \u201cno more war!\u201d chants.<\/p>\n<p>Some Democrats called it an impeachable offense for the president to bomb Iran without approval from Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Trump\u2019s move is \u201cabsolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe President\u2019s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,\u201d\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AOC\/status\/1936600627221565468\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:she said on X;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"15\" data-v9y=\"1\">she said on X<\/a>. \u201cHe has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., said\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SeanCasten\/status\/1936582165338431904\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:on social media:;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"16\" data-v9y=\"1\">on social media:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cThis is not about the merits of Iran\u2019s nuclear program. No president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Casten called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to \u201cgrow a spine\u201d and protect the war powers reserved for Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson said Trump respects the Constitution as he sought to lay the groundwork to defend his decision to act unilaterally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight\u2019s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties,\u201d he\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SpeakerJohnson\/status\/1936602051431063760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:said in a statement;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"17\" data-v9y=\"1\">said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson\u2019s remarks, along with support for Trump\u2019s move offered by Senate Majority Leader\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LeaderJohnThune\/status\/1936583185871081481\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:John Thune;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"18\" data-v9y=\"1\">John Thune<\/a>, R-S.D., indicate that Trump may have sufficient political cover to avoid blowback from the Republican-controlled Congress.<\/p>\n<p>House Minority Leader\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepJeffries\/status\/1936597267596648905\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:Hakeem Jeffries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"19\" data-v9y=\"1\">Hakeem Jeffries<\/a>, D-N.Y., said Trump \u201cfailed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.\u201d But he stopped short of labeling the military action illegal or unconstitutional.<\/p>\n<p>House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., was more direct on the legal question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe power to declare war resides solely with Congress. Donald Trump\u2019s unilateral decision to attack Iran is unauthorized and unconstitutional,\u201d said Clark, the No. 2 Democrat. \u201cIn doing so, the President has exposed our military and diplomatic personnel in the region to the risk of further escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded by endorsing a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to require congressional approval for Trump to take military action in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,\u201d Schumer said in a statement. \u201cWe must enforce the War Powers Act, and I\u2019m urging Leader Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately. I am voting for it and implore all Senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Appearing Saturday night on MSNBC, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who co-authored the resolution with Massie, wondered whether the anti-war voters who support Trump would back his move.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the first true crack in the MAGA base,\u201d he said, noting that Trump\u2019s rise in the 2016 primaries was aided by his move to slam President George W. Bush for the Iraq war.<\/p>\n<p>This article was originally published on\u00a0<a class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/lawmakers-both-parties-question-legality-trumps-iran-strikes-rcna214316\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:NBCNews.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"20\" data-v9y=\"1\">NBCNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 Several members of Congress in both parties Saturday questioned the legality of President Donald Trump\u2019s move<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,4,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","category-politics","category-world-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":406,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions\/406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}