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Senate leaders have avoided direct answers on whether President Trump needs congressional approval before taking any military action against Iran.
Congress is reluctant to question the commander-in-chief before he authorizes strikes. But Democrats have a deep distrust of Trump, and a growing faction of the Republican Party is deeply suspicious of foreign military interventions.
“These questions have been debated for a long time about how much authority the President has as commander in chief,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), when asked whether Trump needed congressional approval to attack Iran.
He added "I believe that Congress and the Senate, Senate Democrats, if necessary, will not hesitate to exercise the authority," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said at a press conference Tuesday.
Lawmakers have privately stressed to Schumer the need to maintain the military's flexibility in this situation, sources told Axios.
"For too long we have handed over war powers to presidents who have since eroded the clear constitutional mandate ," Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told Axios.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is looking for Republican senators to support his war powers resolution and is confident he is making progress.
Kaine will need at least four Republicans. "Some have told me they're likely to vote for him," Kaine told Axios.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is seen as the most likely person to join the Democratic effort, but he declined to say how he plans to vote. He argues that the Constitution requires congressional approval for military strikes.
Kaine is unable to force a vote on his resolution until 10 days after it is introduced, meaning a vote won't happen until at least next week.
Even if one of them were to pass the Senate, it would still have to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. And Trump would almost certainly veto it, requiring a tie-breaking vote in both chambers.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) declined to answer questions on the issue, calling it “sensitive” and a “very complicated issue.” But some Republicans are giving Trump the green light.
"Historically, a single bombing attack has not been understood to require authorization from Congress ," said Senator Ted Cruz.
Asked whether the president needs congressional approval to launch attacks on Iran, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-C) told Axios simply: "No."
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