Murkowski calls for debate, hearings on authorizing Trump's war
In a letter to constituents, Sen. Lisa Murkowski says “It is now the duty of Congress to define the scope of this conflict and require the President to present his case for this action in full and transparently.”
On Wednesday, Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan joined all other Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul in opposing another Democratic measure to end Trump’s war against Iran until Congress declares war against Iran.
Sullivan has not called for a vote to approve the war, but in her letter to Alaskans, Murkowski said the Congress should write and debate a measure to keep the war going. A vote would naturally follow.
“Congress should begin drafting and debating an authorization for the use of military force with clear time-limited or objective-restricted constraints on how President Trump can keep up his war against Iran, critically examining requests for supplemental funding, and conducting rigorous oversight hearings, so the American people know the limits and objectives of this military operation,” Murkowski says in her letter.
“There is no question that the president should have sought authorization from Congress before striking Iran on this scale. Likewise, it should have been necessary to bring all relevant allies in on the planning ahead of time, as they are now equally in danger. However, the abrupt cessation of all offensive operations would not leave any American service members, diplomats, or civilians in the Middle East in a safer position.”
If any readers who wrote to Sullivan or Rep. Nick Begich the Third about the war have received replies from them, please send me copies at dermotmcole@gmail.com.
Readers who have yet to write them may want to ask if they agree with Murkowski that Congress should debate a plan to approve the war and put limits on Trump.
Sullivan has so far simply parroted the Republican line that Trump did not begin a war—it was started by Iran 47 years ago.
About the latest Senate vote, the New York Times reported: “By grinding the chamber to a halt and forcing all 100 members to debate and vote on questions related to the war in Iran, Democrats are briefly taking power away from Republicans, who control the Senate and would rather focus on other priorities, like a strict voter identification bill that Mr. Trump has demanded Congress deliver him. The focus on the war is also detracting from Republicans’ efforts to refocus their message on cost-of-living issues ahead of midterm elections in which their control of Congress is at stake.”
One of my readers who forwarded Murkowski’s letter to me wondered about the implications of her logic and what would happen if Trump attacks Cuba, Greenland or Canada.
“Are we always going to have to say ‘well, we're committed now, so we have to support our troops?’ Congress is going to have to figure out a way that restrains the ability of the president to take us to war without public discussion and congressional engagement,” he said.
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