Trump Argues Iran War Has ‘Terminated’ As He Faces Congressional Approval Deadline
'The ceasefire has since been extended'
Mike Johnson denies the US is at war with Iran ahead of key congressional deadline
House Speaker Mike Johnson said congressional approval is not necessary for the conflict between the United States and Iran, disputing claims that the military operation is a war.
Over two months into the conflict, Johnson has maintained that the operation is "not a war," arguing that the 60-day deadline enforced by the War Powers Resolution would not apply to this scenario.
'There's nothing Congress can do.'
Without congressional approval within the 60 days, the resolution would mandate the president to withdraw military forces from the war.
"I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing, anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace," Johnson said Thursday. "I would be very reluctant to get in front of the administration in the midst of these very sensitive negotiations, so we'll have to see how that plays out."
RELATED: Navy secretary abruptly fired despite ongoing Iran blockade
"We're policing the Strait of Hormuz and trying to get a peace," Johnson added. "The president and the administration are moving as aggressively as possible. There's nothing Congress can do to move that along any further, so we'll see how it plays out."
Although Johnson and other Republican allies have refrained from calling the conflict a war, President Donald Trump has frequently referred to the operation as a war.
"The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties," Trump said on February 28, the day the United States first began striking Iran. "That often happens in war."
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2 GOP senators side with Democrats to block ICE, CBP funding
The Senate worked overnight to advance the GOP's budget resolution to fund immigration enforcement to the tune of $70 billion in an effort to end the Democrat-induced shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
From Wednesday afternoon to the early hours of Thursday morning, senators voted on a slew of amendments to advance Republicans' legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection.
'Democrats will once again demonstrate to the American people their support for open borders.'
This legislative marathon comes amid the ongoing DHS shutdown that began in mid-February. In March, the Senate approved a funding package to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP in a 2:00 a.m. voice vote, but it was rejected by the House. The House passed its own 60-day continuing resolution to fund the department in its entirety, but it was not advanced in the Senate.
The Senate budget ultimately advanced mostly along party lines in a 50-48 vote just before 3:30 a.m., with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky voting with Democrats against the immigration funding.
RELATED: Senate approves DHS funding — but there's a catch
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lashed out at Republicans for funding "rogue agencies," claiming they are out of touch with everyday Americans.
“What kind of bubble are they living in?" Schumer asked. "How apart are they with people’s real needs?”
Despite the Democrats' predictable disapproval of the funding bill, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) remains optimistic that the House will cooperate with the Senate to fund these key agencies. Earlier this month, both Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) agreed on a "two-track approach" that would partially reopen DHS while funding immigration enforcement separately.
"In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited," a joint statement between Thune and Johnson reads. "In return, Democrats will once again demonstrate to the American people their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in America."
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