U.S. Reps. Sam Liccardo and Kevin Mullin both say they will vote for an upcoming war powers resolution that could halt the U.S. military action in Iran that killed the country’s supreme leader over the weekend.
In the House, lawmakers are looking to force a vote on a previously-introduced measure reasserting congressional authority over declarations of war and demanding removal of U.S. armed forces from Iran. On Wednesday, a handful of Democrats have also introduced a more moderate piece of legislation that would require ending military action within 30 days unless Congress authorizes war or further attacks.
While a similar war powers resolution is expected for a vote and debate in the Senate this week, there’s no guarantee that either piece of legislation will pass Congress, and President Trump would also be expected to veto it should the measure reach his desk.
Liccardo, D-San Jose, said he would be voting for the original measure on the principle that all long-term, offensive military operations require congressional approval. He isn’t hopeful, however, that the legislation will pass.
“Regardless of how anyone feels about the war, Congress needs to stand up to its constitutional obligation to be accountable,” Liccardo said. “Do I think that’s going to happen this week? No. I expect that the Republican majority will have the votes to defeat a war powers resolution.”
The broadening conflict in the Middle East — occurring as a result of a joint American-Israeli offensive against key Iranian leaders and military infrastructure — has raised major domestic concerns about the prospect of another long-term Middle East war.
Though senior Trump administration officials insisted the Iran operation is dissimilar to prior wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump himself has been vague on the operation’s timeline and if the United States will consider the possibility of deploying boots on the ground.
In a statement, Mullin, D-South San Francisco, acknowledged the current Iranian regime’s repression and terror attacks, but said that the ongoing airstrikes would further destabilize the region. Currently, Iran’s Red Crescent Society is estimating the Iranian death toll at over 700, and six American service members have been killed by Iranian strikes in the region.
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“The people of Iran have suffered for decades under an oppressive and deadly regime with a record of state-sponsored terror,” Mullin’s statement read. “However, Trump’s reckless actions have further destabilized the Middle East and innocent civilians on the ground are already being killed in significant numbers. Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. could be engaged in an open-ended ‘forever’ war is not what Americans want.”
Trump’s justification for the military action has largely revolved around the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. If Iran was truly imminently about to deploy a nuclear weapon and degrading its nuclear capabilities was imperative, Liccardo said he would be supportive of the U.S. taking military action, a claim he emphasized contradicted even prior allegations by the president that Iran’s nuclear program had been obliterated in strikes last June.
In addition, the American public would be largely unsupportive of the multiyear troop deployment that an actual regime change in Iran would require, Liccardo said. As it stands, he said he was extremely skeptical that the Trump administration’s military offensive would result in lasting, positive change.
“I would speculate that either there’s going to be no significant change in regime, even though the names of a few dozen of the leaders may change, or that we’re going to have an Iran that will devolve into civil war for several years,” he said. “I don’t see how either outcome leaves us any safer.”
The burgeoning conflict also serves as a distraction from Republicans’ increasingly unpopular domestic policy decisions, Mullin said in a statement.
“At a time when American families are concerned with affording health care, managing grocery costs, and ensuring their children have access to quality education, Trump’s reckless and fiscally-irresponsible military escalation distracts from the damage being done at home by Republicans’ disastrous policies,” his statement read.
Mullin also said in the statement that while he favors the previously-introduced resolution because it more fully reasserts congressional authority, he would support whatever war powers resolution that gains enough support to pass. Liccardo added it’s more important than ever that Congress serves as a check to keep the country’s president accountable.
“I am certain the American public has no interest or desire and extended engagement in a ground war, which nearly every military expert will tell you is required for regime change,” Liccardo said. “What is imperative for us as a people is to keep this administration accountable for the outcomes in Iran.”
The last thing the United States needs is do nothing pansy democrats like Mullins, Licardo and the entire democrat party getting in the way of peace in the Middle East. There is finally a MAN in the White House, no longer do we have do nothing Presidents like Biden and Obama handing billions to the mullahs, who has true red lines, that does what is right, and frees enslaved people throughout the world. If they had a chance, I'm sure Mullins and Licardo would open the borders again so Iran could create more sleeper cells, fly in another $20 billion to the mullahs and have street vendors on every corner of every city street.
Folks, here’s the TL;DR to save you time: orange man bad. This article could have included only the first three paragraphs and skipped the rest because it becomes a one-sided interview propaganda piece masquerading as an article. We have Liccardo and Mullin repeating Democrat talking points which, BTW, showcase their hypocrisy. To wit, it’s amazing that all of a sudden, these two are worried about the Iranian death toll at over 700 when they didn’t give a hoot about the reported 50,000 innocents killed by the Iranian government. And seriously, does anyone think that once we obliterated Iran’s nuclear program that they wouldn’t rebuild? Iran is not like California’s so-called leaders which have done their best to keep residents of southern California from rebuilding their homes.
As a reminder, instead of protecting American citizens, Mullin and Liccardo would rather harbor and protect criminals and terrorists who have invaded our country. Didn’t Mullin and Liccardo swear an oath to support and defend the U. S. Constitution? And of course, we can’t forget these two not only want to punish American citizens, but even more so, biological females, since they voted against the Laken Riley Act, choosing to promote biological males competing against biological females.
That Mullin and Licardo are voting against America and President Trump is no surprise. These two, among other Make America Last Democrats, have shown us who they are. Not only do they support domestic terrorists, they’ve expanded their scope to support terrorists across the world against America and allies and countries in the Middle East. Trust me. Mullin and Liccardo don’t speak for the American public and we would all be wiser if we ignored them.
That we would even need any war powers resolution is ridiculous. Time and again this administration flouts the Constitution, which they have sworn an oath to uphold. If Congress been allowed to do its job, we would have been more likely to have actual goals, exit strategies, and A PLAN TO EVACUATE AMERICAN CIVILIANS FROM THE REGION, THOUSANDS OF WHOM ARE CURRENTLY STRANDED.
This administration is a clown show and it's costing real lives.
Hilarious. Hey ILikePi, your outrage is noted and immediately dismissed, especially if you’re going to give a pass to Democrats who put the welfare of criminals and terrorists over the American people. Seems to me Democrats have cost many more real lives because they’re unwilling to support law and order and their oaths to support and defend the Constitution. I’ll take your outrage seriously when you tell us of Democrat plans to EVACUATE INVADERS FROM THE USA, MILLIONS ILLEGALLY IN OUR COUNTRY. Have a Trump-tastic day!
US citizens lack of basic civics knowledge is disappointing. War Powers Resolution of 1973. Please google it or ask AI. Trump sent a formal, legally required notification letter to Congress and invoked the President's Article II constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to protect national security interests. The Act allows Trump 60 days to conduct operations before requiring explicit congressional authorization. If Congress votes to end the action earlier, the president can still veto it. Then 2/3 vote by Congress is need to override that veto. This is how our system works, by laws and procedures, not emotions and feelings.
It is sad how people are being manipulated by politicians to feel absolutely miserable so that you show up to vote for them in November. The psychological and physical costs are real, but the politicos do not care about you. They only hunger for more power.
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(5) comments
The last thing the United States needs is do nothing pansy democrats like Mullins, Licardo and the entire democrat party getting in the way of peace in the Middle East. There is finally a MAN in the White House, no longer do we have do nothing Presidents like Biden and Obama handing billions to the mullahs, who has true red lines, that does what is right, and frees enslaved people throughout the world. If they had a chance, I'm sure Mullins and Licardo would open the borders again so Iran could create more sleeper cells, fly in another $20 billion to the mullahs and have street vendors on every corner of every city street.
Folks, here’s the TL;DR to save you time: orange man bad. This article could have included only the first three paragraphs and skipped the rest because it becomes a one-sided interview propaganda piece masquerading as an article. We have Liccardo and Mullin repeating Democrat talking points which, BTW, showcase their hypocrisy. To wit, it’s amazing that all of a sudden, these two are worried about the Iranian death toll at over 700 when they didn’t give a hoot about the reported 50,000 innocents killed by the Iranian government. And seriously, does anyone think that once we obliterated Iran’s nuclear program that they wouldn’t rebuild? Iran is not like California’s so-called leaders which have done their best to keep residents of southern California from rebuilding their homes.
As a reminder, instead of protecting American citizens, Mullin and Liccardo would rather harbor and protect criminals and terrorists who have invaded our country. Didn’t Mullin and Liccardo swear an oath to support and defend the U. S. Constitution? And of course, we can’t forget these two not only want to punish American citizens, but even more so, biological females, since they voted against the Laken Riley Act, choosing to promote biological males competing against biological females.
That Mullin and Licardo are voting against America and President Trump is no surprise. These two, among other Make America Last Democrats, have shown us who they are. Not only do they support domestic terrorists, they’ve expanded their scope to support terrorists across the world against America and allies and countries in the Middle East. Trust me. Mullin and Liccardo don’t speak for the American public and we would all be wiser if we ignored them.
That we would even need any war powers resolution is ridiculous. Time and again this administration flouts the Constitution, which they have sworn an oath to uphold. If Congress been allowed to do its job, we would have been more likely to have actual goals, exit strategies, and A PLAN TO EVACUATE AMERICAN CIVILIANS FROM THE REGION, THOUSANDS OF WHOM ARE CURRENTLY STRANDED.
This administration is a clown show and it's costing real lives.
Hilarious. Hey ILikePi, your outrage is noted and immediately dismissed, especially if you’re going to give a pass to Democrats who put the welfare of criminals and terrorists over the American people. Seems to me Democrats have cost many more real lives because they’re unwilling to support law and order and their oaths to support and defend the Constitution. I’ll take your outrage seriously when you tell us of Democrat plans to EVACUATE INVADERS FROM THE USA, MILLIONS ILLEGALLY IN OUR COUNTRY. Have a Trump-tastic day!
US citizens lack of basic civics knowledge is disappointing. War Powers Resolution of 1973. Please google it or ask AI. Trump sent a formal, legally required notification letter to Congress and invoked the President's Article II constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to protect national security interests. The Act allows Trump 60 days to conduct operations before requiring explicit congressional authorization. If Congress votes to end the action earlier, the president can still veto it. Then 2/3 vote by Congress is need to override that veto. This is how our system works, by laws and procedures, not emotions and feelings.
It is sad how people are being manipulated by politicians to feel absolutely miserable so that you show up to vote for them in November. The psychological and physical costs are real, but the politicos do not care about you. They only hunger for more power.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.