(WASHINGTON)– Senate Democrats including Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen have introduced nearly a dozen resolutions to push a vote this week and beyond to assert Congress’s authority over the use of military force.
The resolutions direct the removal of U.S. forces from conflict with Iran as the more than 40 days of operations were never authorized by Congress. The renewed effort would mark the third time the Senate votes on a war powers resolution, a measure that failed twice in March without enough support from the Republican majority.
“At some point, we hope that Republican Senators will listen more to their constituents than to tweets from Donald Trump, who started this illegal war,” Van Hollen said to Capital News Service. “We’re going to keep the pressure on because we think people should be held accountable for their votes.”
Van Hollen and five other Senate Democrats filed resolutions Monday, adding to five others that had already been filed. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s will go to the floor Wednesday, followed by Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s next week.
“If Republicans block it, we will vote again, and again, and again – every single week,” said Schumer in a press conference Tuesday.
Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican Senator to side with Democrats in the March resolution votes. He said Tuesday that his stance hasn’t changed.
“I’m not for the war in Iran. It’s a war of choice, but not my choice,” he said. “I think the sooner the war ends, the better.”
But a lone Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, stood against his party on both votes.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do,” said Van Hollen on Fetterman. “But hopefully his constituents from throughout Pennsylvania will hold him [to it].”
The vote won’t pass without more Republican defections, but it’s unclear how Democrats will make that happen.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a staunch supporter of Trump, has backed the war in Iran. But he told Capital News Service Tuesday, “A red line for me – what would give me pause – is troops on the ground.”
“I don’t think the president is going to do that,” said Kennedy. “But [if] he did it, I think he should consult Congress.”
If a vote is successful and the Trump administration complies, returning leverage over military force in Iran to Congress’ hands, the decision to use that force against Iran would still be up in the air.
But Van Hollen was clear. “No, I’m against the war in Iran,” he said. “This is not, for me, simply a procedural issue or a constitutional issue… I would vote strongly no.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. said at a press conference Tuesday, “that question hopefully won’t be a necessary one.”