The Biden administration has not yet briefed senators directly on last week’s airstrike on a Syrian facility used by a militia group allied with Iran, while Democratic lawmakers continue to express anger over it. motion.
Administration officials instead offered a briefing for Senate aides on Tuesday, in which Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Told Politico that he participated to get an appearance of justification for the strike from Biden’s team.
The Connecticut senator, who is on the Foreign Relations Committee, said he was not impressed with what he learned.
“I still need to be convinced that any president has the necessary authorization to strike a retaliatory strike, especially outside Iraq,” Murphy said, noting that, although outdated, previous authorizations still allow the use of force in Iraq.
“I have not heard anything today to convince me that there is a justification that I would apply to any administration,” he continued.
Attendees who attended the briefing were wrong about what information they were given in a separate reading obtained by the outlet, writing that administration officials gave “unsatisfactory” answers and that “there is not a lot of substance.”
A source familiar with the issue at the National Security Council, which is responsible for such briefings, told The Post that briefings were offered to lawmakers, but that Capitol Hill leadership only asked for staff presentations instead. .
Asked by The Post for comments, NSC spokeswoman Emily Horne said: “We continue to be happy to report this issue to both members and staff, as requested.” .
Transparency concerns didn’t just come from Murphy.
Senator Tim Kaine (Va.) Said this week that he will move to the reintroduction of the resolution of the powers that be, which was adopted in the last Congress but was vetoed by President Donald Trump.
The resolution limits the commander-in-chief’s ability to declare war or take military action without congressional approval.
Kaine, who has long supported Congress to have more say in reducing the president’s ability to wage war, expressed anger after Biden authorized last week’s airstrike without announcing Congress or asking for approval.
“The American people deserve to hear the Administration’s reasoning for these strikes and its legal justification for acting without coming to Congress,” he said in a statement at the time.
“Offensive military action without the approval of Congress is unconstitutional in the absence of extraordinary circumstances. Congress must be fully informed on this issue as soon as possible, “he added.
Asked about the return of his resolution this week, the 2016 vice-presidential candidate reiterated that “I just strongly believe – and this goes back to the drafting of the Constitution and its first agreements – that if a president defends himself against a ongoing attack or imminent attack, the president has some unilateral power and that’s fine.
“But the idea of offending against groups, traditionally, should come to Congress.”
Kaine added that “he was not informed at all” about the strike in Syria and not “many of the people” in Congress who should have been.
It seems that Kaine’s resolution could have some democratic support in the House of Representatives, where anger is palpable among lawmakers as well.
Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) Went on strike during an interview with The Hill on Tuesday, saying he had “clearly” violated US and international law.
“I’m sure there would have been more outrage, because this is not a close case,” Khanna said when asked if the reaction to the strike would have been more severe if ordered by Trump.
“My view is – and many people in the Democratic Party have said this – that we need to get out of these endless wars and this conflict,” he said. “I do not see how striking in Syria the Iranian targets are achieving this goal.”