Senate Passes Annual Defense Bill, But Measure to Restrain Trump on Iran Remains Unresolved
Senate Passes Annual Defense Bill, But Measure to Restrain Trump on Iran Remains Unresolved by Karoun Demirjian – Washington Post
The Senate passed a $750 billion defense bill Thursday without resolving whether it will seek to restrain President Trump from going to war with Iran, the most politically divisive element of the debate over the legislation.
In an unorthodox move, the Senate will reconvene Friday to vote on whether to retroactively include language in the bill prohibiting Trump from engaging militarily with Iran without first seeking congressional approval, except in a case of self-defense.
“The American people are very afraid that this president, even if he doesn’t want to start a war, would bumble us into a war,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “If there was ever a time that we should be rising to our constitutional obligation to debate and approve going to war, it’s now.”…