Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden said Wednesday that he will vote for a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to end military operations in Iran, becoming the final member of Maine’s delegation to support such a measure.
Golden, who represents Maine’s 2nd District, had opposed several previous resolutions on Iran because he said the War Powers Act grants presidents 60 days to conduct military operations without congressional approval. But Golden said that the 60-day window closed on May 1.
“President Trump, like all his predecessors, has refused to recognize the limitations of the War Powers Act, but to me the law is clear,” Golden said in a statement. “His window for unilateral military engagement has closed. Hostilities, including the use of the U.S. fleet to impose a blockade of Iranian ports, cannot legally continue unless the president seeks, and wins, Congressional approval.”
Golden is backing a “clean” war powers resolution sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-New York. That resolution could come up for a House vote next week.
The 2nd District Democrat, who is retiring at the end of this year after four terms in the House, had previously supported a resolution that would have reduced the 60-day window to 30 days. But he has opposed several other war powers resolutions requiring the Trump administration to end military attacks on Iran.
Last month, for instance, he cast the deciding vote to defeat a resolution requiring Trump to cease military operations in Iran except to defend against an imminent attack. Golden, who was the only Democrat to oppose that resolution, said at the time that passage of the resolution would have weakened the U.S. position as it negotiated with Iran.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who represents the state’s 1st District, has consistently supported war powers resolutions on Iran, as has independent U.S. Sen. Angus King. Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins had opposed earlier versions but, like Golden, has supported resolutions since the war in Iran surpassed the 60-day threshold requiring congressional authorization.
Republicans in both chambers have defeated all of the resolutions to date.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
