Expect the debate about the fighting between Israel and Iran to shift to Capitol Hill in the coming hours.
Congress has not been in session since bombs began dropping Thursday night. That changes today with the Senate returning to session.
Bipartisan lawmakers have begun demanding answers from the administration about just “how involved” the U.S. is in the strikes and the risks it poses for the nation.
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Members from both parties have generally been supportive of how President Donald Trump has handled the crisis. But there are concerns about what comes next.
Firstly, Trump campaigned on a platform of keeping the U.S. out of foreign entanglements. That pledge enthralled much of the MAGA base. But there is worry that certain direct – and even indirect – support for Israel could upset that coalition.
This unfolds as the U.S. sends refueling tankers to Europe to be closer to the region.
Secondly, many pro-MAGA voters back Israel. But the question is to what extent that involves the U.S. overseas.
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Lawmakers have questions, too.
Is the U.S. merely supporting Israel? Or is the U.S. more involved? And if that’s the case, at what point does Congress step in?
The president is the commander in chief. But getting the U.S. involved in a “war” requires congressional approval under the Constitution.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has already introduced a war powers resolution, forcing debate and a vote by the Senate ahead of the U.S. using any military force against Iran.
Moreover, there is concern that U.S. action could spark the risk of domestic terrorism in the U.S. – or strikes against American military and diplomatic assets overseas. There could also be the risk of hitting “soft” targets, such as tourist hotspots, say in Europe.
Multiple GOP lawmakers advised Iran and its proxies against taking action over the weekend. However, they all indicated that the U.S. would respond with force to Iran.
Such a scenario would almost certainly draw the U.S. more deeply into the conflict if Iran forced a retaliatory strike authorized by Washington.
It is said you can’t be a little bit pregnant. But you can be a little bit at war.
And that’s what bipartisan lawmakers are trying to establish now: whether the U.S. could in fact be at war.
Even if it’s just a little bit.
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