By Manu Raju, Camila De Chalus, Morgan Rimmer, CNN
(CNN) – House GOP leaders suddenly called off a vote Thursday regarding a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran just as it looked like Republicans might lose the vote due to absentees.
Democrats have persistently pushed for votes to restrict Trump’s war powers in both the House and Senate – an effort that has gradually gained more backing from some GOP members in recent weeks.
The resolution was brought forth by New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who serves as the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Leading Democrats in the House condemned the decision to cancel the vote, stating in a joint message, “the Republican-controlled House continues to behave like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump administration.”
“Republicans cowardly pulled a scheduled vote on a War Powers Resolution-legislation that would have passed with bipartisan support and required the President to end the conflict in the Middle East,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in the statement.
Meeks also expressed disappointment about this move.
“Here we are on the eve of Memorial Day, with prices for gasoline going up, prices for food going up. We had a vote because of this president’s war of choice that was going to pass; we had the votes without question, and they knew it. As a result, they’re playing political games; they’re cheating and have delayed the vote until we get back,” Meeks told reporters after learning about the delay.
He mentioned that this vote is now anticipated to take place in early June once Congress returns from its Memorial Day break.
Earlier this week, Meeks noted he believed House Speaker Mike Johnson was stalling on voting for this measure. “A lot of my Republican colleagues are feeling pressure back home when they’re looking at food prices and gas prices,” he stated.
The Senate moved forward with a similar resolution earlier this week aimed at curbing Trump’s ability to execute military actions against Iran without getting congressional approval.
The canceled House vote follows comments made by President Donald Trump earlier this week where he claimed that Americans generally favor the U. S. campaign against Iran.
“Look, everyone tells me it’s unpopular, but I think it’s very popular when you hear it has to do with nuclear weapons-weapons that could take out Los Angeles or major cities very quickly,” Trump remarked during his White House press conference.
A recent CNN poll indicated that 77%-including most Republicans-believe Trump’s policies have raised living costs within their communities.
This story has been updated with additional details.
The-CNN-Wire
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