Biden’s Strikes on New Middle East Targets Spark Bipartisan Anger in Congress: ‘The Constitution Matters’

When candidate Joe Biden promised to unite the nation, this is probably not what he was referring to.

After the U.S. and other countries attacked Houthi rebel targets in Yemen Thursday with air strikes and missiles, House and Senate members on both sides of the aisle launched attacks of their own — on what they called the Biden administration’s unconstitutional use of force without congressional approval.

California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna argued on X that, despite being a member of Biden’s party, he would not support what he considered the president’s unconstitutional actions.

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“The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict,” Khanna wrote in his X post. “That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House.”

To be clear, it’s likely that Biden’s authorization of the strikes against the Houthis were in compliance with federal law, which allows the president to order attacks without congressional approval if U.S. forces have been attacked first. However, there is some argument about how and when those rules apply, and whether they are applicable here.

Regardless, Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee reached across the aisle to agree with his Democratic House colleague.

“I totally agree with @RoKhanna,” he wrote in a re-post of Khanna’s comments. “The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna agreed with both of them.

“Exactly. We did not declare war,” the Florida Republican wrote. “Biden needs to address Congress!”

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Rep. Mark Pocan didn’t quite go so far as to say that the Biden administration had violated the Constitution, but he did call for consultations with Congress.

“The United States cannot risk getting entangled into another decades-long conflict without Congressional authorization,” the Wisconsin Democrat wrote. “The White House must work with Congress before continuing these airstrikes in Yemen.”

Val Hoyle, another Democrat, went further, apparently accusing Biden of exceeding his presidential authority — so much further, in fact, that X added “context” to her post reminding users that Biden does, in fact, have authority to “initiate a military action” but is required to report to Congress within two days.

“These airstrikes have NOT been authorized by Congress,” the representative from Oregon wrote. “The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.”

Not every legislator was against the strikes, of course, as Politico pointed out, and many called them “overdue.”

A number of Republicans came out in favor of the airstrikes, including Iowa’s Joni Ernst, South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell, Florida’s Rick Scott, and Mississippi’s Roger Wicker.


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George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and was a weekly co-host of “WJ Live,” powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.

George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He currently serves as the connections pastor at Awestruck Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English as well as a Master’s in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He and his wife life only a short drive from his three children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the NRA and in his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma.

Birthplace

Foxborough, Massachusetts

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Beta Gamma Sigma

Education

B.A., English, UNCG; M.A., English, UNCG; MBA, UNCG

Location

North Carolina

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Faith, Business, Leadership and Management, Military, Politics



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