House Republican leaders called off a scheduled Thursday vote on a war powers resolution that would have compelled 
Donald Trump to withdraw US forces from the war with Iran, after it became clear the measure would have passed had the vote been held. The postponement, which avoids political embarrassment for Trump, pushes the resolution into June, NPR reported. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top House Foreign Affairs Democrat and the resolution's sponsor, told reporters the bill's backers "had the votes without question and they knew it."
Bill cosponsor and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a joint statement with Reps. Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, called Republican leadership "cowardly" for pulling the vote and accused the conference of behaving "like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump administration," the Guardian reported. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise said the vote was delayed to give absent lawmakers a chance to participate; Speaker Mike Johnson declined to answer reporters' questions as he left the chamber.
The cancellation is the latest signal that congressional support for the war is fraying. Another House resolution fell on a tie vote last week, with three Republicans voting in favor, and a Senate version advanced earlier this week with four GOP senators joining Democrats, NPR reported. Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who broke with his party last week, said the 1973 War Powers Resolution gives the president 60 days to wage war without congressional sign-off and that the clock had run out: "We're past 60 days so it's got to be brought to us to vote on. We're following the law."
The White House argues the statute no longer applies because of the April 8 ceasefire with Tehran, even as Trump has said on social media that military leaders should "be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached," NPR reported. Among the GOP members absent Thursday but expected to vote when the resolution returns is Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who lost his primary this week to a Trump-backed challenger, the Guardian reported.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
