War Powers Contest Awaits?

Count on the midterm election results to be closely followed at Tehran, where the fate of the Iranian regime could hinge on whether the Democrats capture at least one house of Congress. Democratic candidates in key races are vowing, if elected, to end the war. Senator Chris Murphy is griping about President Trump’s “insane” plan to resume hostilities. If the Democrats prevail, an escalation is likely in the Capitol Hill conflict over war powers.Mr. Trump is mulling what the Wall Street Journal calls a “heavy U.S. bombardment of Iran,” asserting Sunday that “at some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer.” The potential strikes could target nuclear sites in Iran and the enemy’s infrastructure, though the president has reportedly not decided whether to give up on diplomatic initiatives. Democratic wins Tuesday can be expected to embolden Tehran to continue its strategy of intransigence.Feature the comments from Mr. Murphy, now recovering from a stroke, urging the president not to strike Iran. Having been briefed on White House plans “for a possible resumption of military operations against Iran,” CT Insider reports, Mr. Murphy “warned that carrying it out could escalate and prolong the war.” The senator groused that new strikes “will lead to devastating escalation, and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law.”Reflecting the tendency of legislators to second-guess the commander in chief, Mr. Murphy insists that “the plan that they have developed will lead, in my view, to a prolongment and an escalation of this war that will be devastating for our security interests.” Senatorial hopeful Dr. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia are among the candidates running on platforms to terminate, even absent victory, the war against Iran.Democratic House candidates like Congressman Don Davis of North Carolina and Zach Dembo of Kentucky are making similar vows. “Here’s what I’ll do,” Mr. Dembo pledges. “End this insane war that’s making our gas and diesel prices skyrocket.” If the Democrats have a strong showing on Election Day — like, say, recapturing the Senate — they are apt to try to claim a mandate, as Mr. Murphy is doing, from the voters on this anti-war agenda.Constitutionally speaking, would the Democrats be able to derail America’s war effort? Efforts to halt the war via the War Powers Resolution of 1973 have so far proven abortive. That said, even the GOP-controlled House has thrice passed resolutions demanding an end to the war. A similar measure failed in the Senate. Even if both houses passed such a provision, though, it would likely fail to survive a presidential veto.Mr. Trump, too, has denounced the War Powers Act as “totally unconstitutional.” The Framers, after all, had divided the federal war powers between the president and Congress. The president commands the military, implying the power to exercise his judgment on using force. Congress was given authority to declare wars and to regulate and fund military operations. Mr. Murphy is pointing to this power of the purse as a means to end the war. “We become an illegitimate body,” Mr. Murphy claims, “if we do not use our spending power to end the war.” Does this suggest the Democrats leading one or both houses would seek to cut off funds for the conflict? Would they even, as Punchbowl News muses, hazard a government shutdown in order to gain leverage over the White House on this head? One can imagine that the mullahs at Tehran would be delighted by the effort to tie the president’s hands.

War Powers Contest Awaits?

War Powers Contest Awaits?

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