Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told his colleagues they should reject Sen. Tim Kaine's, D-Va., war powers resolution that would require President Donald Trump to halt any military hostilities against Iran within 30 days and require congressional approval to carry out further action, The Hill reported Tuesday.
"I will strongly oppose our colleague's effort and urge the Senate to defeat it," McConnell said, arguing the resolution is "blunt and clumsy" and would "severely limit the U.S. military's operational flexibility to defend itself against threats posed by Iran."
McConnell added: "The ill-conceived potshots at presidential authorities in the wake of a strike that succeeded using the blunt instrument of a war powers resolution is no substitute at all for answering these broader questions."
He also insisted, "this self-flagellation and self-limitation would be tantamount to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory," according to The Washington Times.
The Senate is expected to begin debate on Kaine's war powers resolution Wednesday and vote on it sometime this week, according to The Hill.
Kaine has the four Republican votes necessary for it to pass. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the chief Senate GOP vote counter, suggested other Republicans might be willing to support the resolution, depending on its final language.
The House passed a similar, but symbolic, resolution last month.
Even if the Senate resolution passes and does so in the House, Trump is almost certain to veto it, and there does not appear to be enough votes to override it.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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