Marco Rubio faces Capitol Hill questioning this week as a bipartisan push to limit Trump’s Iran war powers gains Republican support.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to face pointed questioning on Capitol Hill this week as lawmakers in both chambers consider efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue U.S. military involvement in the conflict with Iran.
Rubio is scheduled to testify Tuesday and Wednesday at four congressional hearings on the State Department’s budget for the next fiscal year. But the hearings are likely to range well beyond spending, with Iran negotiations, the U.S. military campaign and the scope of presidential war powers all expected to be central lines of inquiry.
The pressure comes as Congress could move this week on war powers legislation that would halt U.S. involvement in the war unless lawmakers authorize it. Such a measure would face an expected presidential veto and does not appear to have the votes needed to override one, but passage would mark a notable political rebuke of the administration.
The push is no longer confined to Democrats. In the House, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tom Barrett of Michigan have joined Democrats in voting to curtail Trump’s war powers, and more Republicans could follow.
The debate is unfolding as talks with Iran remain stalled. The U.S. and Iran have not agreed on terms to end the sporadic fighting, with Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and possible sanctions relief among the key unresolved issues.
Trump signaled impatience Monday in an interview with CNBC, saying he “couldn’t care less” if the talks were over. “If they’re over, they’re over,” Trump said. “If they’re not, you know, I think they took too much time.”
The president’s comments followed renewed fighting over the weekend that tested fragile ceasefires in place since early April. The U.S. military has shown no sign of ending its blockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran has continued to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio has said the administration prefers a negotiated deal with Iran, while leaving “other options” available if diplomacy fails. The administration has also repeatedly said it would not accept any agreement allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Some Republicans are pressing Trump from the opposite direction, warning against a deal they view as too limited. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., wrote in late May that Trump should allow U.S. forces to “finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” arguing that further pursuit of an agreement risked projecting weakness.
The administration has argued that the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional oversight of military action, infringes on executive authority. Rubio’s hearings now give lawmakers a high-profile opening to test that position directly and to press for clearer answers on how long the U.S. campaign could continue without a new vote from Congress.
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