Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives slammed Republicans for abruptly cancelling a vote to rein in President Donald Trump’s war in Iran before the House left for the Memorial Day weekend.
Lawmakers claimed that Republicans pulled the vote because they did not have enough votes to block the War Powers Act resolution to end the White House’s wildly unpopular war.
The resolution, which comes as members of both parties have attacked Trump over his Middle East policy, would require troops to withdraw within 60 to 90 days of deployment if Congress had not declared war or authorized use of military force.
The American public has also largely not been sold on the war. A New York Times/Siena College poll showed that 65 percent of voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
Republicans on Thursday kept open a vote to create a museum honoring women’s history, which ultimately failed. At that point, Rep. Jim McGovern, the ranking Democrat of the House Rules Committee, asked why the House was not voting as scheduled on the resolution.
“Are we not voting on it because the American people are sick and tired of this illegal war that is costing tens of billions of dollars?” McGovern asked amid heckling.
“Gas prices are through the roof. People can’t afford their groceries,” he said, which led to leadership hitting the gavel. “You guys don’t have the guts or the b**ls.”
The delay came after Trump and his Republican allies defeated the reelection attempt of Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of the biggest critics of Trump and of the Iran War. Republicans also had several absences, which likely meant the resolution could have passed. Earlier this week, Senate Democrats had enough Republicans join them on a War Powers Act resolution.
But just off the floor, Democrats were even angrier. Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, told reporters that Republicans had “p***ied out.”
His colleague Rep. Pat Ryan of New York, a West Point graduate, was also furious.
“These chicken hawk motherf***ers are gonna send us home for Memorial Day weekend, where I’m gonna honor my fellow veterans that I served 27 months in combat with, and they are gonna not even give an up or down vote on continuing this war almost three months in,” he told The Independent.
The Trump administration launched the Iran war at the end of February. But House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted Congress should not take action and said that the United States is “not at war right now.” The White House has gone back and forth between calling it a war or a “skirmish.”
Over time, more House Republicans have joined Democrats in War Powers Act resolutions.
“I think the American public wants this vote, but somebody doesn’t want to see the vote,” Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) told The Independent. “ Last time it was tight, right? And I’m hearing that we’re going to have enough votes to pass it, so that’s the issue.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) made fun of her fellow Minnesotan, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, for failing to get the votes to stop the resolution.
“When the vote failed on the women’s museum bill, they knew that they didn’t have the votes for the war powers,” she told The Independent.
It capped off a whipsaw day on Capitol Hill.
Earlier, Senate Republicans met with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche after many had questions about the new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and whether any money would go to people who assaulted police officers on January 6.
In response, Republicans chose to go home rather than vote on a bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection. Shortly thereafter, House Speaker Mike Johnson called off votes for Friday.
