Congressional patience for President Trump's Iran campaign may be running on a clock he can't fully control. As the conflict nears the 60-day mark without explicit approval from lawmakers, a little-used law from the Vietnam era is suddenly looming large. The 1973 War Powers Resolution lets a president deploy US forces into hostilities for 60 days without congressional authorization, also allowing for a one-time 30-day extension strictly if needed to pull troops out safely, per the New York Times. Trump notified Congress of the Iran operation on March 2, putting the first deadline at May 1.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted down, by a 51 to 46 tally, a new attempt to keep Trump's war powers in check, per CBS News. But some Republicans, including Sen. John Curtis and Rep. Brian Mast, are signaling they won't back open-ended action beyond the May 1 deadline, hinting support could erode if the White House doesn't seek a formal authorization for the use of military force, per the Times. So far, the only GOPer to vote to curb Trump is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, reports the Hill.
Congress could still grant its approval, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski is indeed said to be working on such a measure. But presidents of both parties have argued that the War Powers law is unconstitutional or inapplicable—President Obama did so in Libya, and Trump rejected it over Yemen, per the Times—raising the prospect that the White House could push past the deadlines and force Republicans to decide how far they'll go to defend him.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
