In violation of the Article I of the U.S. Constitution, Trump has assassinated a senior Iranian official in Iraq. Congress never authorized this action, which Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders called a “dangerous escalation” that “brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East.” In October 2002, Congress authorized military action against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, acting on the Bush Administration’s false claim that Iraq was building weapons of mass destruction to attack the United States. In 2014, the Obama Administration sent U.S. forces back to Iraq to fight ISIS, claiming this was authorized by the 2001 AUMF passed by Congress against Al Qaeda after the September 11 attacks. Congress has never authorized the use of military force against Iran in Iraq or anywhere else. 
 
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, any Representative or Senator can introduce a privileged resolution to force a floor vote on the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities that Congress has not authorized. This is how we forced Congress to vote on unauthorized U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen, even though Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, and Nancy Pelosi didn’t want Congress to vote on it. It was exactly in anticipation of this situation – the President is conducting an unauthorized war, and the Congressional leadership doesn’t want Congress to vote on it – that Congress in 1973 added this provision to allow any Member of Congress to force a vote on an unauthorized war. As Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar said: “Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him? I know I will.”
 
It’s not too late to stop this escalation. But Members of Congress need to act now. Urge your Representative and Senators to invoke the War Powers Resolution to force floor votes on stopping unauthorized war with Iran by signing our petition.