In a significant challenge to President Donald Trump’s authority over military operations involving Iran, the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve legislation aimed at restricting the president’s ability to engage in military action without congressional approval.

The vote marks the latest success in an ongoing effort by congressional Democrats to place legal limits on the administration’s war-making powers. According to CNN, momentum behind the initiative has been building in recent weeks as lawmakers push for greater congressional oversight of military decisions involving Iran.

The measure, which takes the form of a concurrent resolution, must also be approved by the Senate before it can take effect. Because it is not standard legislation, it does not require the president’s signature and will not be sent to the White House.

The resolution passed by a narrow 215-208 margin. Four Republicans—Representatives Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson—broke with party leadership and joined Democrats in supporting the measure. The vote came after three previous attempts to advance similar legislation failed in the House.

Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the effort to bring the resolution to the floor.

The House had originally planned to vote on the proposal on May 21, but Republican leaders canceled the vote at the last moment after determining that member absences would likely result in defeat.

Following that decision, Meeks accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of deliberately preventing lawmakers from voting in order to protect the administration from political embarrassment.

Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Johnson mounted a vigorous defense of the president’s authority and warned that congressional intervention could undermine delicate diplomatic negotiations currently underway.

“I think it is a very dangerous prospect to take away from the administration and the commander-in-chief right now the ability to negotiate. That’s what this does. It, it weakens us, our position, and our leverage in negotiation on the peace in that situation. ‘Operation Epic Fury’ is concluded,” Johnson told CNN on Wednesday.

The Speaker also argued that the administration’s objectives in Iran had been clearly defined and successfully accomplished, rejecting growing calls from lawmakers in both parties for additional details about the strategy and its implementation.

“The president is now in the process of, of concluding a peace agreement, and we have to allow him the latitude to do that, and I think a war powers resolution right now is very untimely, and a very, very negative, and dangerous thing for the country,” the Speaker concluded.

{Matzav.com}