Tina Smith on War & Peace

No War with Iran without Congressional OK

Voted to remove US armed forces from Yemen

Senator Smith voted "yea" on a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of proposed foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia certain defense articles and services. 06.20.2019

[Saudi Arabia led a bombing campaign in Yemen, using weapons supplied by the United States].

Keep the Iran Nuclear Agreement in place

"Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. A withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Agreement, however, will do nothing to reduce that threat. The Iran deal was never perfect, but I am profoundly concerned that walking away from it with no legitimate basis for doing so is bad for our national security. It heightens the risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon and heightens the ultimate risk of military conflict.

"This move also sends a message that the U.S. won't abide by our diplomatic agreements, and it risks serious backlash from the international community.

"President Trump says at the heart of the Iran deal was a fiction. That couldn't be further from the truth. There's always room to improve international relations and strengthen our current agreements--but not when we abandon the diplomatic structures we already have in place.

No military force against Iran without Congress approval.

Axios.com summary: The House passed a symbolic war powers resolution directing President Trump to halt the use of military force against Iran unless he obtains approval from Congress.

The big picture: A classified briefing on the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani [by the US military] left Democrats and even some Republicans deeply skeptical, with many claiming that officials did not provide evidence that there was an "imminent" threat from Iran. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) said they will vote in favor of a similar resolution in the Senate [S J Res 68].

What opponents are saying: Former national security adviser and notorious Iran hawk John Bolton tweeted: "The 1973 War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional. It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Constitution allocated foreign affairs authority between the President and Congress. The Resolution should be repealed." Pres. Trump quote tweeted Bolton and added: "Smart analysis, I fully agree!"

What supporters are saying: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was one of the few Republicans to vote in favor of the resolution, stating on the House floor: "Killing Soleimani was the right decision, but engaging in another forever war in the Middle East would be the wrong decision." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation that would block funding for offensive military force against Iran without congressional authorization. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) is also seeking to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which has been used repeatedly to justify war in the Middle East in the wake of 9/11. Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the AUMF in 2001, criticizing it as a "blank check."

Legislative outcome: H Con Res 83 Passed House 224-194-13 on 1/9/20; S J Res 68 passed Senate 55-45-0 on 2/13/20. Vetoed 5/6; Senate veto override failed 5/7/20.

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