US lawmakers to vote to limit Trump’s war-making power against Iran

Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Wednesday, January 8, the house would vote the following day to force US President Donald Trump to wind down military actions against Iran unless given further authorisation by the Congress. The vote also questions the presidential power of Trump to make decisions on War.

Briefing to discuss Trump's decision 

Following the Missile attack on US troops by Iran, Trump addressed the media. However, neither his speech nor any other statement by the Republicans have reportedly been able to convince lawmakers within the Democratic party that an imminent threat justified the killing of top Iranian Military commander and the violence that followed thereafter. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and CIA Director Gina Haspel held classified briefings for all 535 members of Congress to discuss the US President's decision to order a drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani in Iraq last week.

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Speaking to a leading international news daily, Democratic Representative Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House of Foreign Affairs Committee said the basic theme of it was the administration essentially saying: 'Trust us.' He further said he wasn't sure whom to trust and what to trust when it came to these issues because they've been told so many different things that really just bother him. Following the meeting, Pelosi announced the vote on Thursday which would be a measure to curb all military measures of Trump unless Congress voters approve it. She declared that the Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the Administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward.

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Such a vote would see a clear victory for the Republicans who hold a majority in Congress but on Wednesday, at least two Republican lawmakers signalled that they would support Democrats holding the open possibility of a razor-thin vote. However, the vote is certain to ignite a fierce debate on Trump’s strategy against Iran and his power to curtail war. Whereas the majority of Republicans supported the killings in a third country, the two Republicans supported the democrats saying the US officials have provided no evidence to back up assertions by Trump that the Irani Military leader provided an imminent threat.