By THE ALASKA STORY
May 13, 2023 – Lisa Murkowski broke with most Senate Republicans on Wednesday and voted in favor of a Democratic-led resolution seeking to force the withdrawal of US military forces from hostilities involving Iran, arguing that the Trump Administration has now exceeded the constitutional and statutory limits of the War Powers Act.
Murkowski presses Hegseth on Iran war powers as Trump administration claims authority to strike without Congress
The Senate vote on Senate Joint Resolution 163 failed narrowly, with the chamber rejecting an effort to advance the measure by a vote reported as either 49-50.
The resolution, sponsored by Oregon Democrat Sen. Jeff Merkley, would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities involving Iran unless Congress explicitly authorized continued military action under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
Murkowski had voted against seven previous war powers resolutions related to Iran this year. But in a statement released after Wednesday’s vote, she said two key developments changed her position: the expiration of the 60-day limit established under the War Powers Act and the Administration’s assertion that active hostilities had effectively ended.
“Today, the Senate voted on a resolution directing the president to remove US Armed Forces from hostilities in Iran, the eighth such resolution on this matter,” Murkowski said. She didn’t mention that the effort failed.
“I voted against the previous seven resolutions because I believed an abrupt withdrawal would endanger American forces and civilians in the region, but also because the president was operating within his constitutional authority under the 60-day threshold established by the War Powers Act.”
She said the administration now faces a different legal and constitutional landscape.
“We have now surpassed the 60-day limit for hostilities without congressional authorization, and the administration has asserted that hostilities have ended, despite the blockade and continued fire directed at members of the US Armed Forces, as well as our assets, allies, and partners,” she said.
“The administration’s own position removes any justification for keeping our servicemembers in harm’s way without congressional authorization.”
Murkowski also said that if military operations resume or continue, Congress must formally authorize them through an Authorization for Use of Military Force, commonly known as an AUMF.
“If U.S. forces are still required to operate in the region or hostilities are resumed, the administration is obligated to seek authorization from Congress and should come before this body, and the American people, making that case,” she said.
She added that she has been working with colleagues on a possible AUMF proposal but said the administration’s recent claims that hostilities have ceased make such a measure premature for now.
“Should hostilities reignite and military action resume, I will reconsider the introduction of an AUMF,” she said.
Only two other Republicans joined Murkowski in supporting the resolution: Libertarian-leaning Rand Paul and reliably left-leaning Susan Collins. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against advancing the measure.
The vote marked the closest margin yet on repeated Democratic efforts to force congressional oversight of US military operations involving Iran. It was also the first Senate vote on the issue since the May 1 expiration of the 60-day War Powers deadline.
14 thoughts on “Murkowski breaks with most Republicans, backs Democrats’ Iran troop withdrawal resolution”
Inconvenient and uncomfortable, to say the least, but Lisa has the high ground here. I am very surprised the US is losing this war but no objectives have been achieved by the US, and nothing is better anywhere than it was the day before the war began. The only way to end this without losing much is to make Tehran look like Gaza (blackened and lifeless), and the US has the capability to do that. I think everyone I know still believes that eradicating DEI has largely fixed the problems that brought us entirely unsatisfactory results in Vietnam and Afghanistan, but anything other than a clear win in this war would bring Democrats back into power that could last until mid-century.
How are you surprised the US is losing? Yes, we’ve achieved unparalleled military success, but military dominance and strategic victory are two different things, and we get further from the latter every day. The same ruthless bastards are running Iran today as were three months ago. This is even more idiotic than Obama’s Syria “red line” and Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, and at least those failures had the decency to not start a new war while bungling everything else.
Team Trump walked into a conflict with objectives they couldn’t state publicly because they knew they weren’t achievable — and when they weren’t. They just reframed them and called it the plan. That’s not strategy, that’s narrative management.
And now the answer is apparently to level Tehran? Wipe out their civilian infrastructure? That’s not a plan, that’s what you say when you do not have a plan. You don’t salvage a failed strategy by committing war crimes that destroy every alliance you have left and hand Iran’s government the propaganda win of the century.
The Senate vote isn’t surrender. It’s the adults in the room finally asking what winning actually looks like, because nobody around Trump has the spine to tell him the answer, or the honesty to admit they never knew.
It’s probably too late to return to some of the valuable provisions of Obama’s negotiated plan. Obliterating Tehran will cost the world, not just Iran, lives and treasure and will create committed Iranian warriors for future wars. I think we should just withdraw and accept the loss and pursue post war diplomatic negotiations. Maybe a win for Iran would tamp down their hatred for America and “things” would relax a bit. Don’t want America to be a loser, but under Trump, we are. If democrats win the House and maybe the Senate, America can start to heal with backfilling Trump’s disasters, bringing justice to his gangsters and in 2028, elect a democrat.
I know conservatives want to stay committed to Trump, but at some point, they’ve got to count their chips and admit that America is close to death solely because of Trump’s incompetence and corruption. It will be tough for Trump supporters to explain why now, (or whenever the scales tip against him in their minds) is the time to step away but not previously at the many times when Trump’s incompetence and corruption was impossible to ignore.
I can’t say I know the right answer on this one but Murkowski’s predictable opposition to all things Trump and most Senate Republicans inspires zero respect.
I’m hoping Damien will weigh-in on these latest MFugliest photos of Princess. My theory about them is that some clever prankster has installed a remote-control goosing device in her seat cushion. A VERY effective goosing device. Only the best for Princess.
Sen Murkowski has always been a Democrat. She is like one of those “Christians” because her dad Frank Murkowski is a Republican she thinks she has too just like a grandchild thinking she is a Christian because her grandmother and grandfather, father and mother were Christians.
Just because your parent is a Republican doesn’t mean you are one just like God doesn’t have grandchildren. You are either HIS child or you are not.
Never saw that one coming….This TDS ridden hag is a complete fraud and disgrace.
A broken clock is right twice a day!
When will we have our fill of “ stunning and brave powerful women”?
The AKGOP has never cast her aside. In fact, I believe some Republicans still support her in her antipathy and rebellion against Trump on just about everything. She needs to be set adrift, and hopefully, without the aid of RCV, she will finally… finally be forced into retirement.
Interesting that the crime here is “rebellion against Trump” and not “rebellion against Republican values”. Those used to be different things. Fiscal restraint, limited government, free trade, strong on defense — Murkowski’s voting record hits most of those. Trump’s doesn’t. He’s a populist and opportunist through and through.
And for the record, RCV has worked just fine for Alaska Republicans. The problem isn’t the process. The problem is Alaskans keep using it to tell you something you don’t want to hear.
If loyalty to one man is now the price of admission to the Republican Party, that’s not a party anymore. That’s a cult with a primary process.
LOL. Lisa Murkowski preaching the law of congressional authority to the Trump lawyers? A six time Bar Exam failee?
That’s like Mini-Mouse trying to herd a bunch of cats into the cat box to do their business. Another Grimm’s fairy tale.
Murkowski is even dumber than her dad.
And she’s not shy to show everyone how dumb she really is.
At least I tried hard to hide it, Brian.
The “Hag” of the North is at it again! Time is of the essence and its time the Hag is out of the picture! End Rank Choice Voting and the Hag of the North!