HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul has denounced his colleagues for allowing President Donald Trump to start a war with Iran.
He wrote in a Thursday op-ed for Fox News that no other Congresses in U.S. history have been so “cavalier” with American troops and tax dollars.
“The constitutional separation of war powers is not just some notion that belongs in our history books. It’s a vital part of a democratic republic,” Paul wrote.
“This Congress should be ashamed of how it has allowed this unilateral march to war.”
The Constitution allows only the legislative branch to declare war, although lawmakers and presidents have had differing opinions on their combat authorities. The White House has argued that it can engage in various types of military action without explicit congressional authorization, while some lawmakers have maintained a more limited perspective of executive powers.
Many presidents have succeeded in using unilateral force despite Congress’s pushback, though.
“There’s no law that requires the president to have done anything with regards to this,” State Secretary Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday.
According to Paul, however, it was the founding fathers’ intent to grant war powers only to Congress.
“Giving Congress the power to declare war was meant to prevent one person from committing the nation to war,” the senator wrote in his article. “When the nation goes to war, it should be a collective decision, with a clear rationale for war articulated.”
Trump has announced several goals for the Iran war, including the elimination of the country’s nuclear program and the destruction of its defense systems. It’s unclear whether the president is also seeking to replace Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died in a U.S.-assisted Israeli airstrike last weekend.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said in announcing the attacks on Tehran. “Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.”
Iran has accused the U.S. and Israel of committing terrorist acts. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a letter to the United Nations on Saturday that the attacks have threatened peace and security around the world.
“Given the serious and widespread implications of the armed aggression against Iran for regional and international peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran underscores the primary responsibility of the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, to take immediate action in response to the violation of international peace and security resulting from the blatant military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran,” Araghchi’s office said in a statement.
Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.
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