A Republican member of Michigan’s congressional delegation has introduced legislation to limit the scope of the nation’s war in Iran despite President Donald Trump’s insistence he doesn’t need congressional authorization for ongoing operations and that military hostilities have ended.
U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, a first-term member of Congress representing a tossup district in mid-Michigan, said on Thursday, May 7, that he had introduced an Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, giving Trump until July 30 to “demolish, degrade or defeat” Iran’s nuclear program and prohibiting the use of ground forces or any effort by the United States to establish or take over governance of Iran.
In essence, the AUMF, if approved, would establish a deadline for Trump to conclude the war he began with Israel against Iran in late February without congressional authorization, similar to proposals being considered by some Republicans in the U.S. Senate. While Trump could be expected to veto any joint resolution limiting his military authority, any move by Republicans to do so underscores the headwinds the president faces with the public in continuing to prosecute the war with midterm elections coming in November.
Barrett, an Army veteran, represents a district that may be the most likely to flip to Democrats in November, having previously been represented by now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin. On April 16, Barrett voted against a resolution that would have required the immediate cessation of hostilities in Iran.
In a statement released with the AUMF on May 7, Barrett said: “Two things have been clear from the very beginning: Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the United States of America cannot be dragged into another endless war.
“The Commander in Chief has the sole authority to lead our troops in wartime, but I’ve lost too many friends on the battlefield to allow that to happen without Congress exercising its constitutional role to clearly define the mission with safeguards and a deadline. If we don’t learn from our foreign policy failures of the past, we are bound to repeat them,” he added.
Congress has become increasingly restless over the continued operations in Iran and U.S. military buildup in the Middle East with the May 1 expiration of the 60-day deadline for terminating any use of force required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 absent an act of Congress or extenuating circumstances. While Trump and his administration maintain the hostilities have concluded, both sides have continued to trade fire as they negotiate over control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“On May 1, the Trump administration issued a report to Congress detailing that the use of military force had concluded,” Barrett’s office said in a news release announcing the AUMF. “However, U.S. military operations are ongoing. In the absence of Congress declaring war or providing specific statutory authorization for this use of military force, Barrett introduced a formal AUMF reclaiming Congress’s authority under Article 1 of the Constitution and giving President Trump clear legal authority to stop Iran from procuring a nuclear weapon with clear safeguards and limitations.”
The release made clear that during the period of the AUMF U.S. forces can destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program, address imminent threats and enforce a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz while prohibiting the use of ground forces for any purpose other than rescue missions and intelligence collection, any attempts at nation-building or establishing long-term governance, or moving to occupy or seize Iranian territory.
Barrett’s AUMF, and the administration’s authority to wage war, would expire July 30, 90 days after the 60-day report to Congress on May 1, and allow for a wind-down period of 30 days to end the deployment of military personnel.
Barrett faces a tough reelection campaign given a national atmosphere that favors the Democrats. Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, and community activist William Lawrence are running for the Democratic nomination to face Barrett in November.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on X @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Republican Rep. Tom Barrett proposes deadline for Trump in Iran
Reporting by Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
