Republican Party cancels vote to curb Trump's war powers in Iran

Washington - The leaders of the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday cancelled a scheduled vote on a resolution to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran. Republican leaders needed to secure additional flip votes because about six of their members were not present, and the party leaders were unlikely to win that crucial vote for the president, so they postponed it until lawmakers return from recess in June, Politico reported. The resolution was introduced by Gregory Meeks, a Democratic congressman from New York and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. ‘We are holding the vote because this presidential war of choice, which, in fact, would pass. We clearly have enough votes, and they know it, so they are playing politics,’ Meeks told reporters after the vote was cancelled. On Tuesday (May 19), the U.S. Senate passed a war powers resolution that would end the war in Iran unless Trump obtains congressional approval. The procedural vote to advance the measure ended 50-47, with all Democrats except one and four Republican colleagues of Trump voting in favour, while three Republican members were not present for the vote on that Tuesday, according to U.S. media reports.