The Republican leadership of the US House of Representatives abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to halt military action against Iran without congressional approval.
According to Oxu.Az, Reuters reported this development.
The move came two days after a similar initiative was introduced in the Senate. The vote was planned just before lawmakers left Washington for the Memorial Day recess.
Earlier this year, the House narrowly blocked three previous resolutions on war powers. The strong Republican support highlighted the party's confidence in the president regarding a potential Iran war.
However, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the vote margins narrowed over the weeks, with the last resolution failing due to a tie. With some Republicans expected to change their stance and others absent, the proposed document seemed likely to pass on Thursday. After the cancellation, Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters:
"We had enough votes, and they knew it."
He noted that Republican leaders postponed the vote until early June. Democrats and a few Republicans reminded that under the US Constitution, the power to declare war belongs to Congress, not the president, urging Trump to seek authorization for military force. They also expressed concern that Trump could involve the country in a prolonged conflict without a clear strategy. Most Republicans and the White House argue that Trump's actions are legal and fall within his authority as commander-in-chief to protect the US by ordering limited military operations to counter emerging threats.
