U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), and Ron Estes (R-KS) on Jan. 9 voted against the House Democrat’s non-binding war powers resolution, which they claim chastises the president for killing an Iranian terrorist.
“President Trump acted within his authority under a 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force to neutralize the terrorist Qasem Soleimani,” Rep. Estes said. “This decisive and lawful action sent a clear message to Iran that under this administration, anyone working to harm Americans and our allies will be met with strength.”
At the direction of President Trump, U.S. military action was taken this month to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, according to a Jan. 2 statement issued by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” DOD said.
Subsequently, House Democrats on Jan. 8 introduced House Concurrent Resolution (H.Con.Res.) 83, which would direct the president to terminate the use of U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities against Iran unless Congress has declared war or specifically authorized such use in statute, or such use is necessary and appropriate to defend against an imminent armed attack upon the United States, according to the congressional record.
The full House on Jan. 9 approved the resolution in a 224-194 vote, prompting Reps. Carter, Bucshon and Estes to denounce it as an attack on Trump for ordering the air strike that killed Soleimani.
“The president of the United States of America acted decisively and justifiably in eliminating an Iranian terrorist who was responsible for the death of Americans and was planning more attacks,” Rep. Carter said. “The killing of Soleimani was not an act to start war, it was a tactical move to end a war.”
Rep. Carter added that House Democrats decided to hold a vote on the resolution “to admonish” Trump, which he said “will do nothing more than further divide our nation and show the world we are not united.”
Rep. Estes also said that the resolution “seeks to undermine the ability of the president to protect national security while sending a message of division and weakness to our adversaries like Iran,” and he called on his House colleagues “to unify in supporting our troops and overall national defense.”
Rep. Bucshon said, “This politically motivated attempt by Speaker Pelosi to limit President Trump’s ability to engage in hostilities with Iran is unconstitutional.”
“Article II of the Constitution broadly and clearly empowers the president in matters of national security and foreign policy, and this absurd resolution infringes on the president’s ability to conduct foreign policy and to protect the American people,” Rep. Buchson said.