Republican, Democrat call Iran strikes ‘unconstitutional,’ push bill to bar new attacks

US Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna introduced the Iran War Powers Resolution just last week, specifically to prevent the American attack that just occurred.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The US Congressional co-authors of a recent resolution aimed at stopping the president from striking Iran slammed President Donald Trump on Sunday after he announced the American air force’s successful early Sunday morning attack on Iran’s most prominent nuclear sites.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) immediately declared the president’s actions “unconstitutional.”

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) backed him up, explaining, “Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress,” and saying that Congress needs to “immediately” vote on their Iran War Powers Resolution “to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war.”

The bipartisan pair had introduced this resolution just last week, specifically to prevent military action in Iran.

“Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization of military force against Iran,” the resolution read.

Several members of Congress who are Israel’s most ardent critics immediately backed the resolution.

At the time, Massie had declared Israel’s preemptive strikes at the Islamic Republic, which it began June 13, due to Iran’s revved-up race to a nuclear bomb and massive ballistic missile production, to be “not our war” and that his resolution would “prohibit our involvement.”

Trump did inform the leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, both Republicans, before the strike, and House Speaker Mike Johnson was quick to say that the president had acted within the law.

“The President fully respects the Article 1 power of Congress and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act,” he stated.

The original War Powers Resolution requires notification of Congress within two days of any new hostilities, and imposes a two-month cap on military actions which have not been sanctioned by Congress.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who had authored a similar resolution in the upper chamber against an Iran war even before Massie and Khanna, also blasted the US airstrikes on Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.

“The Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back ‘at least two or three years,'” he said. “So, what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.”

Israel has never asked the United States to put “boots on the ground” to help it defeat its enemies, and did not do so now either.

Jerusalem requested that the US help it defend its population from Iranian missile attacks, which both American air and naval assets have done, with Israel’s fervent gratitude.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that while American assistance in destroying the crucial Fordow site, built under a mountain, would be beneficial, considering that only the US has the most efficient bunker-busting bombs in the world, Israel would do the job itself if necessary.

Many military experts doubted that the Israel Air Force could successfully demolish the facility alone, but Israel has shocked the world over the last nine days with all the methods it has used to attack Iran. Last week, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said that Israel still has surprises “up [its] sleeves.”

After six Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) guided bombs hit Fordow, and Tomahawk missiles struck Isfahan and Natanz, Trump announced, “Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”