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Inside the Trump-Pelosi tug of war over Iran war powers

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are tangling over the legal authorities necessary to attack Iran.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, joined by fellow Democrats, speaks during a news conference about legislation the House has passed at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott - RC2JYD99KMA3

The House is set to vote on legislation this week to constrain President Donald Trump’s ability to strike Iran, setting up a largely partisan dispute between Capitol Hill and the White House.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., argued in a letter to the Democratic caucus this week that Trump’s assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq violated “Congress’ war powers granted to it by the Constitution” as lawmakers never authorized a strike against Iran.

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