The U.S. Senate again rejects bill to limit the President's war powers

Local time on March 24, following a vote in the U.S. Senate, a measure intended to prevent President Trump from launching further military action against Iran without congressional approval was rejected. On the same day, the Senate vote result was 47 in favor and 53 against, and the measure was not passed. The voting outcomes were almost entirely along party lines: with the exception of Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, all Republicans voted against; with the exception of Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, all Democrats voted in favor. This was the third time the Senate failed to pass a measure aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to use military force on the Iran issue since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint military strike against Iran in late February.

Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress can authorize the initiation of war. A law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973 stipulates that the U.S. president may take limited military action without congressional authorization only in a national emergency triggered by an attack on the United States or an imminent threat. Regarding this U.S. military action against Iran, although Trump claimed that Iran posed an “imminent” threat to the United States, several Democratic lawmakers said the Trump administration could not provide any evidence and that the action—without congressional authorization—was “illegal.” (CCTV International News)