Democrats’ reaction to Trump taking action against Iran and killing Iranian General Soleimani following the Iran-backed attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad New Year’s Eve has been largely outrageous, with many taking the side of Iran and condemning President Trump over the decision.
For her part, AOC is not only outraged, but wants to hold a vote on some kind of measure that would restrict Trump’s power when it comes to taking offensive action against Iran, through either:
1. A “War Powers” resolution to force Trump to get Congressional approval, or
2. An NDAA amendment to make Trump get approval before using federal funding to attack Iran
See for yourself what AOC had to say on Twitter in response to the strike that killed Soleimani:
AOC's call for a vote on such a measure follows Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi complaining that Trump didn't get approval from Congress before ordering the strike that killed Soleimani.
Business Insider has more to say on this:
Ocasio-Cortez pushed her colleagues in Congress to act to force the president to seek congressional approval to go to war. She said there were two "immediate" steps lawmakers could take — pass a war-powers resolution and reintroduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
The first would allow Congress to vote on whether the executive branch is authorized to move forward with a new war, and the second would prevent the president from using taxpayer dollars on a war with Iran.
"Congress now has a moral and legal obligation to reassert its power to stop this war and protect innocent people from horrific consequences," she said.
Newsweek also stated:
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about President Donald Trump's actions in the Middle East, saying, "Right now is the moment to decide if you are pro-peace or not."
A drone strike ordered by Trump killed the leader of Iran's Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Qassem Soleimani at the airport in Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday. Trump did not gain approval from the Senate before authorizing the attack.
"Last night the President engaged in what is widely being recognized as an act of war against Iran, one that now risks the lives of millions of innocent people," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Now is the moment to prevent war & protect innocent people- the question for many is how, publicly & Congressionally:"
"Right now is the moment to decide if you are pro-peace or not," she continued. "The cheerleaders of war, removed from its true cost, will gladly convince you that up is down- just as they did in Iraq in'03. But war does not establish peace. War does not create security. War endangers us all."
"War advocates start off saying "we all want peace, but..." or "it's too late..." & frame a pro-peace agenda as naïve to realpolitik."
"Don't give into this gaslighting," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "The same folks selling us Iraq and selling us this latest provocation of violence. We cannot repeat this cycle."
"Congress now has a moral and legal obligation to reassert its power to stop this war and protect innocent people from horrific consequences," the Congresswoman said. "We have two immediate options: 1. Vote on a War Powers Resolution, which requires Trump to attain Congressional approval."
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