Ohio lawmakers splinter as House defeats war powers resolution on Iran

“The moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat,” said Davidson, one of two Republicans who broke ranks against the White House.

Davidson wasn’t the only Ohio lawmaker to go against his party. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati (whose district includes Warren County), was one of four Democrats who voted against the same war powers resolution, despite reservations about Trump’s Middle East foray.

“Iran has been a chaos machine,” said Landsman, who wanted to vote on a different measure which would basically endorse the current operation, focusing on degrading Iranian missiles and ships.

With reports that military action could last for months, many Democrats accused President Trump of going into this military operation without a real exit strategy.

“With this White House, it’s always chaos and confusion,” said U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Cleveland, who argued that Trump simply had “concepts of a plan” on Iran.

The war powers vote came amid talk in Congress about the need for the White House to ask for extra money to fund the war, with estimates that it is costing the Pentagon at least $1 billion per day.

“Billions and billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being expended,” said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, who noted this week’s jump in gasoline prices caused by the war with Iran. “Gas prices in Ohio are up 36 cents per gallon over the last three days.”

The House vote on Iran came a day after GOP Senators refused to start debate on a similar war powers resolution, voting 53-47 against the measure.

Both of Ohio’s Senators, Sen. Jon Husted and Sen. Bernie Moreno, voted to keep the plan from getting a full Senate debate.

Most Republicans argue a vote to curb U.S. military operations right now would dangerously undercut the mission and Trump.

“Pulling back now will solidify the regime’s brutal grip on the great people of Iran and put American troops in grave danger,” said Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River.

Meanwhile, there was an interesting linguistic divide between Republicans in Congress and Trump — over what exactly to call the attacks on Iran.

The president has used the term “war” multiple times. But that’s not a favorite of GOP lawmakers in Congress.

“This is not a war,” U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, firmly told CNN in an interview on Thursday about the attacks on Iran. “This is a military intervention and action to be able to eliminate their military capability.”