The Republican-controlled House of Representatives just told its own president to cool it with the Iran military operations, and honestly, watching this party try to manage itself is like herding cats through a fireworks factory. The chamber voted 214 to 208 to restrict Trump from conducting military action in Iran without getting Congress involved first, as Conservative Brief reported. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal brought the resolution forward, and four brave GOP members decided to cross party lines and join the Democrats.
Those four Republican rebels were Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson. That is correct, folks, four whole Republicans grew enough of a spine to break ranks with their party. Someone get them participation trophies.
But here is the hilarious kicker. Even if the Senate had passed this thing, it would accomplish absolutely nothing. The resolution is what they call a concurrent resolution, meaning it never goes to the president for a signature or veto, so it carries zero legal weight. It is basically Congress writing a strongly worded letter to itself. Very productive use of everyone's time.
Meanwhile, the Senate tried its own version Thursday evening, and that one flopped 49 to 47. Republican Sen. Susan Collins sided with the Democrats on the measure, because of course she did, while Democrat John Fetterman voted with the Republican conference to kill it. The political musical chairs in Washington never disappoint.
This all comes as the situation with Iran has been heating up again after a 60 day ceasefire expired. Four American service members who lost their lives during the conflict were brought home Wednesday in flag draped coffins.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the administration gave Iran multiple chances to avoid all of this. There was even a memorandum of understanding to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for commercial shipping. Iran's response? They attacked three commercial vessels late last week. Really nailing that whole "compliance" thing.
Rubio, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before heading to the Philippines for an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, said the U.S. remains willing to talk diplomacy but that Iran needs to actually follow through on its commitments. "It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by," Rubio stated. When reporters asked if the memorandum of understanding was officially dead, Rubio basically said Iran already answered that question by ignoring every single term of it.
"They can't have an MOU that's alive if they're violating the terms of it," Rubio noted, which is frankly the most common sense thing anyone in Washington has said all week.
This marks the second time the House has voted to limit presidential war powers, and Democrats say they believe these concurrent resolutions still carry legal weight because no court has ruled otherwise. So basically their legal argument is "nobody has told us we're wrong yet." Bold strategy.
The U.S. is now nine days into a fresh round of strikes, and Washington's main accomplishment so far has been passing a resolution that does nothing. Democracy in action, people.
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