Apparently if Congress wants to stay informed on President Donald Trump’s efforts to goad Iran into war, they’ll have to check his Twitter feed.
“These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”
These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner. Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2020
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, Trump is in fact required to give legal notice to Congress within 48 hours of ordering hostile military action, such as the drone strike that killed top Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani last week.
The administration gave Congress formal notice of the strike on Saturday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that the classified document “raises more questions than it answers.”