WASHINGTON DC -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), says it is critical for Congress to debate and vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) that would put every Senator on record in support or opposition of President Trump’s decision to launch preemptive U.S. military operations against Iran.

Senator Reed stated: “The war powers vote is more than a referendum on President Trump’s decision to initiate a preemptive war against Iran. It is also a vote on whether Republicans will continue to allow the Constitution to be ignored, as Congress has the sole legal authority to declare war. I will vote for the bipartisan Kaine-Paul resolution and against Trump’s war of choice because he has not articulated a clear rationale or strategy or desired endstate. Nor has he explained the costs, risks, and how this impacts America’s stockpile of supplies and munitions to defend against other pressing and evolving threats. The U.S. military should defend the U.S. and serve the best interests of the American people, not just the whims of the president. President Trump has had ample opportunity to make the case for war with Iran and has failed to do so. This is not ‘America first,’ this is a president taking America into a major war while completely ignoring the Congress and the American people.”

If the bipartisan resolution were too pass, it would not immediately halt operations in Iran, but it would limit the president’s ability to wage an open-ended military campaign and “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.” It would also still allow U.S. forces to assist Israel and other nations in taking defensive measures to protect their territory from retaliatory attacks by Iran or its proxies.

The Senate vote would require 51 votes to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, but would need a two-thirds majority to overcome a presidential veto.

The U.S. House of Representative is also schedule to vote on a similar Iran War Powers resolution later this week.