Maine U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King were divided over a failed war powers resolution that would have forced President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking further military action against Iran.
King, an independent, voted with most Democrats to advance the resolution in a procedural vote over the weekend. He argued in a written statement that the decision to commit the country to war should not rest with one person.
"Not only is this our duty under the Constitution, it is also our duty to those we represent who may be called upon to bear war's terrible burden," he said.
Collins took a different view, saying the president's ordering of an airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities was a limited and defensive action designed to protect the U.S. and its allies. She added that she believes congressional approval should be sought to authorize sustained military force, but that's not the current situation with Iran.
"There has always been a Constitutional tension between Article I vesting in Congress the power to declare war and Article II designating the President as Commander-in-Chief," she said. "I continue to believe that Congress has an important responsibility to authorize the sustained use of military force. That is not the situation we are facing now. The President has the authority to defend our nation and our troops around the world against the threat of attack."
There's currently a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which had been engaged in military attacks against one another before the U.S. airstrikes.
The resolution failed to advance but is part of an ongoing debate over a president's ability to launch military strikes without Congressional approval. Presidents of both parties have bypassed Congress since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
