Donald Trump enjoys hanging out with dictators. He often voices his wishes that Americans treat him as the dictators’ people do. He runs roughshod over Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the Attorney General William Barr. He used to own the House and the Senate. Americans put Democrats in charge of the House with their 2018 election vote, and the Dems are doing a fine job today.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-NY) sent this tweet reflecting that Americans “don’t want war with Iran:”
‘The American people don’t want war with Iran, and neither do I. We need to send a clear message to the White House: don’t plunge this country into an ill-conceived war against Iran. As chair of @HouseForeign, I’ll do everything I can to prevent one. #NoWarWithIran’
He reminded Trump that Congress owned the “war powers:”
‘This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside in the Congress under the United States Constitution. And that you should read the War Powers Act. And that you’re not a dictator.’
Engel called on the House to vote to “stop the administration from going to war with Iran without Congress’ approval.” He tweeted:
‘We need to send a clear message to the White House: don’t plunge this country into an ill-conceived war against Iran.’
Pelosi sent a letter to House Democrats regarding the president’s order to kill the lead Iranian General Qassem Soleimani during a stopover in Iraq. She called it a “provocative and disproportionate” attack:
‘As members of Congress, our first responsibility is to keep the American people safe,” Pelosi said. “For this reason, we are concerned that the administration took this action without the consultation of Congress and without respect for Congress’ war powers granted to it by the Constitution.’
She added in her letter that the people’s House would be voting on “a War Powers Resolution” in order “to limit the president’s military actions regarding Iran.”
Pelosi explained that the bill:
‘[R]easserts Congress’ long-established oversight responsibilities by mandating that if no further congressional action is taken, the administration’s military hostilities with regard to Iran cease within 30 days.’
Pelosi condemned Trump for escalating tensions with Iran on his own. He should have received permission from Congress, and at a minimum notify the Gang of Eight. He did neither.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) also released a similar resolution in the Senate. He wrote:
‘For years, I’ve been deeply concerned about President Trump stumbling into a war with Iran. We’re now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump puts even more of our troops in harm’s way. We owe it to our servicemembers to have a debate and vote about whether or not it’s in our national interest to engage in another unnecessary war in the Middle East.’
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin will lead the resolution. Slotkin is a former member of the CIA and a Department of Defense analyst specializing in Shia militias. In addition, she served a number of tours in that region.
Sunday, Trump tweeted:
‘These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner. Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!’
He was wrong. The War Powers Act of 1973, requires a president to notify Congress within 48 hours of ordering a hostile military action.
On his return flight to Washington after his two-week holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he said:
‘If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame. If there’s any hostility that they do anything we think is inappropriate, we are going to put sanctions on Iraq — very big sanctions on Iraq.’
The president also Twitter-bombed Iran, saying that he would hit “52 Iranian sites.” He added that they would be “very high level [and] important to Iran & the Iranian culture.”
Trump told reporters on Air Force One this disturbing thought, clearly indicating he did not understand war crimes:
‘They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.’
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
