The House of Representatives passed a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to take further military action against Iran. Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-Utica) was one of only eight Democrats to vote against the resolution, which would require the President to seek approval from Congress before launching any attacks on Iran or its proxies unless in the case of an immediate threat to the U.S..
"I'm glad that we seem to be in a deescalation period here, but I don't want to restrict the administration's hands to be able to respond to threats from a very unstable regime in Iran,” Brindisi said Thursday after the vote.
Lawmakers were briefed earlier in the week by administration officials about the recent forays with Iran. Many Democrats and some Republicans expressed frustration with the briefings, but Brindisi said he was satisfied with the information presented by the administration, including that the strike on Iranian General Quasem Solemani was justified.
"I felt that, given the threats that existed, that the administration was within its rights to take out General Soleimani before further attacks on armed service members could happen."
Brindisi said he’d like to see a peaceful diplomatic solution with Iran.
Central New York Republican John Katko (R-Camillus) also voted against the resolution. In a statement, he said "This partisan measure would limit our nation’s ability to defend against threats in the Middle East, protect Americans abroad, and support our allies. While I believe that a well-considered change to the existing Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to reflect modern challenges is something Congress can and should review, the measure before the House today is non-binding and would infringe upon the President’s ability to act during this time of crisis. Doing so would be an incredible mistake and would only embolden an already dangerous Iran."
Upstate Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) and Tom Reed (R-Corning) also voted against the resolution.
The resolution passed by the House will head to the Republican-led Senate where it’s required to be voted on within the next 18 days. Some Republicans have indicated they may cross party lines to vote in favor of something similar to the House legislation.