Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced legislation this week that would conditionally block funds for a war with Iran unless the president received Congressional authority.
If enacted Webb’s measure would ensure that no funds could be “obligated or expended for military operations or activities within or above the territory of Iran, or within the territorial waters of Iran, except pursuant to a specific authorization of Congress.”
“This presidency has shot from the hip too many times for us to be able to trust it to act on its own,” Webb said.
Webb is a decorated Vietnam Marine Corps veteran and served as Secretary of the Navy for a period during the Reagan administration.
This action is a result of growing concern by many that the administration is wrongly pursuing a strategy of gunboat diplomacy that is making needed diplomacy far less likely.
“What the administration is doing right now is playing up Iranian participation in order to try to drive the stakes up to the extent that we don’t deal with Iran,” said Webb.
However, he cautioned that “Now, yes, Iran’s definitely … playing in some ways inside Iraq. And tactically, as a former Marine, in the places where Iran is definitely playing, they should be dealt with,” he said.
Webb was addressing reports of Iranian arms winding up in the hands of Shia militias. Many Shia leaders have close ties with Iranian rulers.
“On a realistic, strategic level, let’s be a little careful here. There’s not a weapon that was used against me in Vietnam that was not made in either China or Eastern Europe. That didn’t cause us to decide we were going to declare war against China or the Soviet Union,” Webb said.
While attempting rein in future aggressive warfare without Congressional approval Webb said during his Senate floor introduction of the measure that he had taken great care to ensure that it “will not in any way prevent our military forces from carrying out their tactical responsibilities in places such as Iraq and in the international waters off Iran’s coast.”
Specifically, Webb’s bill provides the following exceptions to prior Congressional authorization: military actions aimed at repelling attacks launched from inside Iran, “hot pursuit” of enemy forces escaping into Iran and military operations in support of intelligence operations.
The president would be required to report to Congress within 24 hours operations that fell into these categories.