In early 2024, several Republican members of Congress criticized President Biden’s airstrikes on Houthis in Yemen as unconstitutional, citing Article I of the Constitution, which gives Congress the sole authority to declare war. They endorsed Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-Calif.) demand that Biden seek congressional approval before initiating military action, with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) reposting Khanna’s statement on X and adding, “The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation.” Now, many of these GOP members are supporting or staying silent on President Trump’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, also conducted without congressional authorization. These flip-flops aren’t just hypocritical partisanship, but are giving Trump political cover for him to sidestep Congress.
Mike Lee, a heavy social media user who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, has not criticized Trump’s bombings, despite the lack of congressional approval. On X, Lee posted in praise of Trump’s strikes on Friday night, “Tonight, the Iranian nuclear program was wiped out. Please join me in praying for the safety of the brave men and women of America’s armed forces [...] and that these strikes may lead to the lasting peace called for by President Trump.” He made no mention of Congress’s war powers, a sharp departure from his 2024 position when Biden was president. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) co-signed a Jan. 2024 letter with Lee and Democrats Tim Kaine and Chris Murphy questioning Biden’s authority for the Yemen actions. However, following Trump’s bombing in Iran, Young did not appear to have any such concerns. “Thank you to our brave service members who executed this mission,” he posted on X. “The world will be safer if Iran’s nuclear capability is destroyed.”
