Three Republicans joined Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday to approve the Iran War Powers resolution, an effort to restrain Donald Trump’s ability to use military action against Iran without congressional approval. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Francis Rooney of Florida and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky crossed party lines to approve the resolution. This move follows the airstrike that killed Iran’s top military leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani, an action that nearly brought us to the brink of war.
What’s surprising is Gaetz, a staunch Trump defender, voting in favor of the resolution while eight Democrats opposed it. Independent Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) also voted in favor of the measure.
After Gaetz told his colleagues on the House floor of his record of defending Trump, he said, “This resolution offers no criticism of the president — no critique. It doesn’t criticize the president’s attack on Soleimani. Matter of fact, this resolution doesn’t even say Soleimani’s name it.”
“I represent more troops than any other member of this body,” Gaetz continued. “I buried one of them earlier today at Arlington. If our servicemembers have the courage to fight and die in these wars, Congress ought to have the courage to vote for or against them.”
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“I support the president, killing Soleimani was the right decision, but engaging in another forever war in the middle east would be the wrong decision,” he added.
Watch:
I represent more troops than any other member of this body. I buried one of them earlier today at Arlington.
If our servicemembers have the courage to fight and die in these wars, Congress ought to have the courage to vote for or against them.
I’m voting for this resolution. pic.twitter.com/cSCBG7CmIm
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 9, 2020
Gaetz later spoke with Fox News host Tucker Carlson to explain his vote to oppose the resolution.
“I spoke to the president today,” Gaetz said. “The president told me he is more antiwar than I am, and I love the president for that. The thing is, I think a few of the advisors of the president are trying to slow-walk the administration into war. When the president relies on his instincts and we have the Trump doctrine, we kill the terrorist, and we come home.”
We’re not sure why Gaetz believes that Trump is anti-war while at the same time trying to rein in the “president’s” power to engage in another bloody and expensive war, but OK.
Featured image via screen capture
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