By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers will try again next week to pass a resolution to halt the Iran war and force President Donald Trump to obtain Congress’ approval for any further attacks, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday, hours after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire.
“Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment,” Schumer told a press conference at his office in New York.
Trump agreed to the ceasefire on Tuesday, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” prompted global concern and censure from Democrats, dozens of whom called for Trump’s removal from office. The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.
Schumer called Trump’s statements “unhinged” and criticized the war for failing to weaken Iran’s government or rein in its nuclear program, while global fuel prices have risen.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. The Trump administration has sought to portray the war as a decisive victory, although the top U.S. general said U.S. troops stood ready to resume fighting.
The White House says Trump’s actions are legal and within his rights as commander-in-chief to protect the U.S. by ordering limited military operations.
Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives have tried and repeatedly failed in recent months to pass war powers resolutions to force Trump to obtain lawmakers’ authorization before launching military operations.
Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress – who hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House – have almost unanimously backed his policies. Although the U.S. Constitution says that Congress, not the president, can declare war, that restriction does not apply for short-term operations or if the country faces an immediate threat.
Separately, the Democratic leader in the House, New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries, said the House should also vote on a resolution to curb the war on Iran. “We need a permanent end to Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice,” Jeffries said on CNN.
(Reporting by Patricia ZengerleEditing by Rod Nickel)
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