A senior White House official claimed that President Donald Trump does not need Congressional approval to continue the war against Iran because the ongoing ceasefire negates the deadline imposed by the War Powers Act.
On Thursday, a US official told News Nation that “for War Powers Resolution purposes,” the war against Iran had ended. The War Powers Act was passed after the Vietnam War and was intended to strengthen Congressional oversight over war.
Additionally, the War Powers Act is a law and does not alter the Constitutional limits on Presidential war powers. The Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war.
However, the law has been reinterpreted to allow a President to wage war for 60 days without seeking Congressional approval. The 60-day deadline for the war in Iran expired on Friday, and if Trump wants to restart the war, he needs Congress to pass a Declaration of War or Authorization for Use of Military Force.
The administration appears to be attempting to use the ceasefire, which began three weeks ago, to sidestep the War Powers Act. “We are in a ceasefire right now, which [in] our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses, or stops,” Hegseth told Sen Tim Kaine during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Congress has attempted to invoke the War Powers Act multiple times to force Trump to end the war against Iran. The resolutions have been defeated by the Republican majorities in both houses. Only Republicans Rand Paul and Thomas Massie have broken with the GOP and voted to end the conflict.
The White House has attempted to present the war against Iran as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have told Congress that Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed before the US and Israel attacked in February.
