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Intel: Democrats wade into legal gray area with Iran war powers vote

The House passed a resolution 224-194 seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct future offensive military actions against Iran.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 09: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA) walks on the House floor to a reception on Capitol Hill on January 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. The House voted Thursday to restrict President Trumps military actions against Iran. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)

The House passed a resolution 224-194 seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct future offensive military actions against Iran.

The resolution, which passed largely along party lines, mirrors a similar resolution that Congress passed last year seeking to end US involvement in the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Both resolutions were introduced via expedited procedures laid out under the Vietnam-era War Powers Act of 1973, which allows any lawmaker to force a vote requiring the president to withdraw from military hostilities not authorized by Congress.

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