Sen. John Curtis would have liked to vote on the US war in Iran before it started. Now that Congress is voting on President Donald Trump’s war powers after the hostilities began, he’s not trying to curtail them.
“If I could do this all over again, of course I would love a vote in Congress before we go. But this is a train that’s left the station,” the Utah Republican told Semafor. “It would not be in our best interest at all to stop what’s already started.”
Curtis isn’t alone among Republicans who are openly processing their own views after Trump joined Israel in starting what’s become a widening war with Iran. Many in the GOP spent years railing against Iran’s oppressive regime and urging a more aggressive approach after the country’s record of coordinating terrorist attacks — leaving few Trump critics in his party, at least in the early days of the conflict.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who had voted to advance a resolution intended to rein in Trump on Venezuela but voted against the final product, said Monday he would oppose a similar war powers resolution on Iran. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Todd Young of Indiana both declined to say how they would vote on it later this week. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told Semafor he needs to hear the administration’s briefings for Congress on Tuesday before deciding.
That uncertainty suggests GOP leaders have some work to do to defeat the war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Yet it looks, for the moment, like top Republicans are up to the task.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Semafor she called up Trump to praise him on Sunday
“I am overjoyed. And I spoke to the president yesterday and I told him,” Ernst said.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said he would do “everything I can to make sure the president has full authority to do what he has done” and defeat the Kaine resolution. It’s supported by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., but needs 51 votes to pass in a Senate where Republicans control 53 seats. (Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is likely to also vote no.)
