US House Passes Measure Demanding Immediate Halt to Iran War

The United States House of Representatives has passed a new measure that would require the president to immediately halt the war in Iran– though, it still has a long way to go before guaranteeing a possible end to the conflict.

US President Donald Trump has persisted onward with a war in the Middle East that has proved to be highly unpopular among American citizens– just 30-35% of the population supports the war, with a majority of them identifying as strongly Republican. Gas prices have soared to more than $4.26 per gallon, fertilizer prices have skyrocketed, and thousands across the Middle East have been displaced.

Yesterday, the damage continued, with Iran retaliating against Gulf nations after US attacks earlier in the week. Kuwait's major international airport was struck with a serious drone attack, killing at least one worker and injuring several others. A massive hole was left in the roof of the airport, with further infrastructure damage expected. Bahrain, on the other hand, was targeted with missiles and drones, but the projectiles were taken down before making impact.

Now, the House of Representatives has taken a dramatic turn against the Trump administration, with several Republicans flipping sides against the president. The House is widely seen as more pro-Trump compared to the other chamber of Congress, the Senate, making the decision even more shocking.

Two weeks ago, a resolution on the same topic was set to take place, but Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson postponed the vote after it appeared that the Democrats' measure would win out. Finally, after months of debate, the consensus took place yesterday, with the House voting 215-208 to pass the resolution.

The bill, which cites the War Powers Resolution of 1973, would effectively mandate the executive branch of the US government – the branch that includes the president and his advisers – to withdraw all troops and cease all hostilities. In order to go into effect, it would need to be confirmed and passed by the Senate, which would then deem the resolution constitutional– the president plays no role in the introduction of the bill.

However, the Trump administration has contentiously cited a decision by the Supreme Court from 1983 in an attempt to nullify any possible resolution. The landmark ruling of INS v. Chadha states that any bill requires presidential approval before going into effect– including a war powers resolution. This would go against the entire essence of the resolution, though, which is meant to challenge absolute executive power.

Because of this, if Congress were to pass the resolution, the United States government would enter an inter-branch standoff, with the executive branch declaring the legislative branch's bill unconstitutional by the 1983 ruling. This would likely force the issue into the Supreme Court, who would then decide in favor of the Trump administration or Congress.

Nevertheless, the bill's approval by Congress could still spell danger for Trump. Some experts have suggested that Iran could see the disagreement as a sign of American weakness, motivating them to avoid negotiating a peace deal. Others say that the loss of Republican support in the House and the Senate could cause Trump's approval ratings to fall further, decreasing Republicans' chances of maintaining their majority in Congress in the upcoming midterms. Congress' approval of a war powers resolution would also ramp up public pressure on the Trump administration– though, many are concerned that Trump could ignore the matter altogether and press on regardless of legislators' ideas.

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