12 US House lawmakers support Congressional authority over war powers

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A group of 12 House Democrats who are military veterans announced Monday that they back a War Powers Resolution after recent US strikes against Iran.

"We write firstmost as Patriots who love our country. Each and every one of us wore the uniform with pride. Each and every one of us was ready and willing to lay down our lives to protect our fellow Americans, and to support and defend our Constitution," the lawmakers said in a letter to President Donald Trump.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions following the US targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend.

The US attacks were the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.

The lawmakers said that Iran and its proxies are "evil."

"But we must be very clear: American-led, offensive military operations against Iran – including Saturday night’s preventive air strikes – are different.

"We all swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Article 1 Section 8 explicitly requires a vote by Congress to declare war. In recognition of that clear and sacred Constitutional duty, we will all be supporting a War Powers Resolution," they added.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, joined by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, recently introduced a war powers resolution to prohibit the use of US Armed Forces in unauthorized hostilities against Iran.

Their goal is to require the administration to obtain congressional approval before engaging significantly in the conflict.