Nothing says party unity quite like four Republicans walking across the aisle to hold hands with one of the most progressive members of Congress on a military resolution that everyone already knows is going absolutely nowhere. As USA Journal reported, the House just passed a war powers resolution telling President Trump to pull American forces out of hostilities with Iran unless Congress gives its formal blessing.
The fantastic four who crossed over? Thomas Massie from Kentucky, Warren Davidson from Ohio, Tom Barrett from Michigan, and Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania. Every single one of them cast the exact same vote when this identical resolution popped up previously. You know what they say about doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.
Here is where it gets truly hilarious. This resolution is what political nerds call a concurrent resolution, meaning it never even lands on the president's desk for a signature. The Senate is expected to toss it in the recycling bin faster than you can say "dead on arrival." Senator Bill Cassidy already voted against it before anyone could finish reading the thing out loud. So the practical effect of this grand gesture is somewhere between zilch and absolutely nothing.
But who needs practical effects when you can generate amazing campaign ad footage for the opposing party? Right as Trump is reportedly threatening to target Iranian bridges and power plants if they fire on another commercial vessel, and while 18 American service members have lost their lives since this conflict kicked off, these four gave Democrats a shiny bipartisan headline on a silver platter.
Fitzpatrick offered perhaps the most entertaining justification, citing the War Powers Act of 1973. That is the law that literally every president from both parties has cheerfully pretended does not exist for over five decades. His argument boils down to "Congress must follow the law," which, sure, sounds great in theory. But if that is genuinely the concern, why not introduce an actual authorization for military force and make every member of Congress go on record? Force the Democrats to vote against completing a mission that is already underway. That would be a winning strategy. Instead, Fitzpatrick chose the symbolic gesture route alongside Pramila Jayapal, which accomplishes nothing beyond generating awkward Thanksgiving conversations with Republican voters back home.
Massie, it should be noted, is reportedly on his way out the door after getting thumped in his primary race earlier this spring. So at least he has the excuse of not caring anymore. The other three presumably still want to keep their jobs.
Iran continues launching attacks on commercial shipping. Trump continues ordering military strikes. The Senate will continue ignoring whatever the House sends over. And somewhere, Pramila Jayapal is framing her new bipartisan achievement for the office wall. Politics, everybody.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
