Trump Will Not Seek Congressional Approval Before Continuing Any Action Against Iran

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump hinted on Friday that he does not intend to seek Congressional approval to continue any military action against Iran when the 60-day period granted by law to the president expires before he must request authorization from lawmakers. Trump told reporters at the White House, "I don’t think what they are asking for is constitutional. Those who request this action are not patriots." He added, "No one has ever requested this action before, and no one has ever demanded it, so why should we do it?" Trump believed that the implementation of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 8 provided him with "more time," effectively suspending the countdown. According to the U.S. Constitution, Congress alone has the authority to "declare" war. However, a law passed in 1973 allows the president to engage in limited military intervention in response to an emergency resulting from an attack on the United States. The text of the law states that the president must obtain authorization from the legislative authority if deploying forces for more than 60 days, which is different from declaring war. The conflict with Iran began on February 28, but the official notification from the White House to Congress regarding the start of attacks was not issued until two days later. The sixty-day deadline that requires obtaining authorization expires on Friday. Since the outbreak of the war, Democrats have repeatedly attempted to pass legislation to limit Trump's military powers against Iran, but they have not succeeded. However, some Republican legislators warned that they might begin, after this period expires, to demand that the White House obtain authorization from Congress. But in the absence of adequate support from conservatives, Democrats have no effective means to force the government to adhere to the deadline.