The U.S. House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution meant to limit the president’s ability to take further military action in Iran without Congressional approval.
The vote came two days after the Iranians launched an attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of a top general linked to the deaths of hundreds of Americans.
No one was killed in the attack by the Iranians.
The resolution is nonbinding meaning it will not go to the president for his signature and it won’t be able to become law.
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For the lawmakers behind the resolution though, it was meant to send a message of sharp criticism of military action against Iran without Congressional approval.
"We must not go to war with Iran,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) said during the debate on the resolution.
Congressional members were mainly divided along party lines.
"This decision has endangered all Americans everywhere,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) said.
Republicans defended the president pointing to the dangers posed by the Iranian general who was killed in the airstrike.
"The president did the right thing here,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said.
"With a nonbinding resolution, that’s like we’re just going to state an opinion,” Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee) said.
READ: Live updates: House passes War Powers Resolution limiting Trump’s actions against Iran
Republican members of Congress including Green and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania) said they left Wednesday’s intelligence briefing confident in the president’s decision to order the airstrike.
"This is just politics,” Green said. “It's politics because they can't stand Donald Trump."
"The fact that we put people in charge and then question every decision they make to me is a disaster,” Kelly said. "This more messaging towards the election in 2020 more than anything else."
Democrats behind the resolution said they hoped it will put a stop to any future potential military actions in Iran without consulting Congress.
"The president conducted a provocative disproportionate airstrike against Iran and endangered Americans,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
This concurrent resolution is different from the joint resolution passed by Congress last year limiting military action in Yemen.
That resolution would have had the ability to become law, but it was vetoed by the president.
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