Washington (TDI): President Donald Trump brushed off yet another impeachment attempt on Tuesday, after a resolution tied to his military action in Iran was swiftly shot down in the House of Representatives.
The motion, introduced by Rep. Al Green of Texas, accused Trump of bypassing Congress when he authorized airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites earlier this month. But lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to shelve the effort, 344 voted to table it, with just 79 in support.
That group of 79 included a core of progressive Democrats, many from safely blue districts, who have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump’s handling of foreign policy and war powers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among the most vocal, supported the resolution, calling Trump’s unilateral military actions “dangerous.”
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Still, the majority of Democrats sided with Republicans in blocking the push, including heavyweights like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Both have urged caution on the impeachment front, wary of voter fatigue after Trump’s first two impeachments failed to remove him from office.
The failed vote comes against the backdrop of escalating violence in the Middle East. On June 13, Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear targets, claiming it was acting to prevent Tehran from developing a bomb. Iran responded with missiles of its own, targeting Israeli cities. The exchange marked one of the most intense flare-ups between the two countries in recent years.
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Then, on June 21, Trump ordered US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, without seeking congressional authorization. The strikes added fuel to the fire in Washington, where lawmakers were already debating the limits of presidential war powers.
A brief ceasefire, announced by Trump at 0500 GMT Tuesday, appeared to cool tensions for the moment. Both Iran and Israel signaled they were willing to pause hostilities, though few expect the calm to hold for long.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
