JANUARY 5, 2020
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. – J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday criticized the White House’s classified War Powers notification to Congress for the attack that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, saying it “raises more questions than it answers.”
“This document prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the Administration’s decision to engage in hostilities against Iran,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Pelosi, who criticized President Donald Trump on Friday for not coming to Congress beforehand, reiterated her call for the White House to provide a full briefing to lawmakers of the fatal drone strike and the U.S.’s potentially deeper involvement in the region.
“This initiation of hostilities was taken without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran, without the consultation of the Congress and without the articulation of a clear and legitimate strategy to either the Congress or the public,” she added.
Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, have criticized Trump for not consulting Congress before killing Soleimani.
“He didn’t consult. He hasn’t provided notice,” Murphy tweeted Friday. “Next, he will go to war with Iran without an authorization if Congress doesn’t take drastic steps to force him into compliance.”
The White House, as required under the 1973 War Powers Act, notified Congress on Saturday of its military activities that killed the leader of Iran’s elite paramilitary forces at Baghdad airport on Thursday.
A senior Democratic aide described the notification as both “brief and insufficient.”
“It is unusual for such a practice when the strike has been publicly acknowledged by the government,” the aide added when asked about the White House’s decision to classify the modification.
Courtesy/Source: Politico
