In a display of anti-Trump and anti-Israel bipartisan cooperation, House Democrats and four Republican defectors joined forces Wednesday to pass a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The measure was a “War Powers Resolution” aimed at limiting President Trump’s ability to continue military operations against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. The measure passed 215-208 with Republicans Thomas Massie (shocker!), Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson crossing party lines.
Supporters say the resolution is about Congress reclaiming its constitutional authority over war powers. Critics see it differently: as lawmakers choosing to hamstring an American president who is trying to keep America safe from one of the world’s leading state sponsors of terrorism.
The good news for Trump and his supporters? The resolution faces a difficult path in the Senate, and even if it were to reach the president’s desk in a binding form, Trump will veto it. Overriding that veto would require overwhelming congressional support that does not exist. So the vote was meaningless and just virtue signaling to voters.
At a time when America faces threats from Iran, you’d think national security would rank a little higher on the priority list. Instead, too many politicians seem more motivated by their opposition to Trump – and in many cases their hostility toward Israel – than by giving the president the flexibility to respond to threats against the United States and its allies.
And for many voters, concern about gas being a dollar more a gallon overrides any threat posed by a terrorist-sponsoring regime that has spent decades chanting “Death to America” and funding attacks against our allies – and that’s pretty sad.
For many politicians, the formula is simple: if Trump is for it, they’re against it. It doesn’t matter whether the issue is border security, energy policy, or confronting a terrorist regime. That’s a reckless way to approach any issue, but especially foreign policy.
Iran doesn’t care about partisan talking points – it cares about American weakness. And when politicians are so consumed with opposing Trump and Israel that they end up opposing actions that strengthen America’s security, they stop looking like America’s defenders and start looking like Tehran’s useful allies.