By:Molly Gibbs
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Monday that President Donald Trump acted within executive powers when he launched an attack with Israel on Iran over the weekend.
Several Democratic senators indicated Monday that they will force a vote on a war powers resolution to bar Trump from taking further military action in the region unless Congress authorizes it. If that vote comes to fruition, Hawley said he will not support it.
“If there’s not a use of ground troops involved, the president has 60 days to conduct operations,” Hawley said.
If the president seeks to add ground troops to the conflict, that would be a different story. To do that, he would need to seek congressional approval, Hawley said. He also noted that he has yet to be briefed by the administration, something he expects to happen Tuesday.
“I hope for a swift conclusion to this in a way that is maximally advantageous for America’s national security (and) that keeps us safe, No. 1,” Hawley said. “No. 2, I want to be briefed … I have no visibility into this at all, and I don’t want to speculate.”
Hawley’s assessment adds to his complicated view of U.S. military action abroad. During Joe Biden’s presidency, Hawley often voiced opposition to increasing the United States’ involvement in foreign conflicts, including giving funding to Ukraine in its struggle against Russia.
More recently, Hawley temporarily broke with his party to vote in favor of a war powers resolution after Trump launched Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela. The war powers resolution would have barred Trump from taking further military action in the region, essentially condemning the operation and checking the president’s actions.
Hawley quickly reversed course and voted against the resolution after he said he received assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that no U.S. troops would be on the ground in Venezuela. In Trump’s so-called Operation Epic Fury, Hawley may not be able to get similar assurances, as the president indicated at one point on Monday that he won’t rule out the use of ground forces.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed Monday that six U.S. service members were killed in Iran’s counter attack on U.S. bases in the region. The U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is estimated to have killed more than 500 people in the country.
Several Missouri residents are in the region, including groups stuck in the middle of their travels, Hawley said. He urged all Americans in the area to leave the immediately.
This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.