NEW: On the eve of a House vote Thursday, Defense Sec. Mark Esper urged Congress not to debate limits to Pres. Trump’s power to strike Iran because doing so might embolden Tehran and hurt U.S. troops, multiple sources tell ABC News.
Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.On the eve of a House vote Thursday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged Congress not to debate limits to President Donald Trump’s power to strike Iran because doing so might embolden Tehran and hurt U.S. troops, multiple sources tell ABC News.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley arrive to brief lawmakers on U.S. engagements with Iran in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 8, 2020.Senators' Mike Lee and Rand Paul depart via the Senate Subway following a classified national security briefing of the Senate on developments with Iran at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 8, 2020.
That Esper – a Cabinet member and former senior staffer on Capitol Hill – suggested lawmakers would be wise to stand down on the matter of providing a constitutional check to the executive branch is likely to become a flash point in Congress and unify Democrats with libertarian-leaning conservatives like Sens. Lee and Rand Paul of Kentucky.Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war and can decide whether to pay for military operations.
Upon being briefed on the matter, Republicans mostly emerged with praise for Trump’s handling of the crisis.
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