Trump vetoes resolution that sought to stop hostilities toward Iran without congressional approval

Trump described the resolution as a Democratic political ploy and called it 'very insulting'

President Trump on Wednesday vetoed a resolution passed by Congress that ordered the president to cease any hostilities toward the Islamic Republic of Iran unless both chambers authorizes military engagement. The president earlier this year ordered an attack that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani while he was in Iraq, which was followed in January by Iran retaliated by firing missiles at a U.S. military installment. The resolution was introduced shortly after Iran's retaliatory strike. While the president notes that Iran's attack resulted in zero fatalities, the resolution says that more than 100 military members suffered traumatic brain injuries as a consequence of the retaliation. The resolution also commends Trump and all the people who played a role in the strike that took out Soleimani.

The president in a message to the Senate said that the resolution's "apparent aim was to prevent an escalation in hostilities between the United States and Iran" but "no such escalation has occurred over the past 4 months, contrary to the often dire and confident predictions of many." In another statement about his decision to veto the resolution, the president described the resolution as "very insulting" and decried it as a political ploy by Democrats during an election year and suggesting that Republican supporters "played right into their hands."

Trump disagreed with the idea that the U.S. is participating in hostilities toward Iran and defended his strike against Soleimani as completely legal – based upon Article II of the U.S. Constitution and the 2002 Authorization for Use Against Military Force Against Iraq Resolution. He also said the resolution he vetoed sought to restrict presidential use of military force. "The resolution implies that the President’s constitutional authority to use military force is limited to defense of the United States and its forces against imminent attack. That is incorrect," Trump declared.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/trump-vetoes-resolution-sought-block-hostile-engagement-against

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/68/text

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-veto-message-senate-s-j-res-68/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-regarding-veto-s-j-res-68/

Russia Investigation Transcripts and Documents

Materials from the Committee's Investigation into Russian Active Measures

In 2017 and 2018, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) undertook an investigation into Russia’s interference campaign targeting the 2016 U.S. election. The Committee’s investigation came on the heels of an Intelligence Community assessment, which found: “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” Democrats on the Committee affirmed that judgement, as did Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee. Throughout its investigation, the Committee uncovered significant evidence of Trump campaign efforts to seek, make use of, and cover up Russian help in the 2016 presidential election. To date, two witnesses have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms for lying and attempting to obstruct the Committee’s investigation. Ultimately, this pattern of misconduct and deceit continued when President Trump once again sought to coerce a foreign government into providing him illicit assistance with his reelection campaign, this time from Ukraine. For his efforts, President Trump was impeached in the House and became the first ever U.S. President to to receive bipartisan votes to convict in the Senate. As part of its commitment to transparency, today the Committee is releasing fifty-seven transcripts of witness interviews during the course of the Russia inquiry, as well as additional relevant material, so that every American can see the facts and decide for themselves: Is this conduct ok?

https://intelligence.house.gov/russiainvestigation/

https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1004

https://intelligence.house.gov/russiainvestigation/