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THE POWER OF WAR By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews Correspondent
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. But as many of you smart folks likely also know, it has been decades since Congress last declared war, in 1942.
Yet the United States has been in conflicts around the globe since then. In the early 2000s, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Congress did pass authorizations for the use of military force.
Now, with U.S. forces attacking Iran in real time, Congress will weigh in. The Senate is expected to vote on the war powers resolution Wednesday, and the House on Thursday, on whether to stop U.S. action in Iran until Congress specifically approves it.
Here's what I'm hearing about these upcoming votes.
Watch the segment in the player above.
In short: This is not expected to pass in the House or Senate. But it could be close.
Why? Most prominently, with forces already engaged and under counterattack, there are significant questions about how such a resolution could potentially tie the hands of troops or put them in more danger.
But. Democrats are divided, with many pro-Israel Democrats staunchly supporting the idea of addressing the threat of Iran with force. Others see greater danger in signaling that President Donald Trump has unchecked military power.
Watch the clip in the player above.
These will be hard votes for all, in the sense that the future of this conflict is unknown and politically this could come back to haunt any member of Congress.
More on the U.S. war against Iran from our coverage:
Live Updates: The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran widens. Greece, France and Germany are sending forces to Cyprus after an Iranian-made drone struck a British military base on the island.
One Big Question: What are Trump's justifications for the war? Our panel of three experts discuss.
Perspectives: Limiting Trump's authority with war powers resolution is "dangerous," House Speaker Mike Johnson says.
NOEM OFFERS NO APOLOGIES FOR 'DOMESTIC TERRORISM' CLAIMS
Watch the video in the player above.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced more scrutiny and at least three calls for her resignation on Tuesday from senators on both sides of the aisle.
In her first congressional testimony since federal immigrant agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year, the secretary was asked to answer for her leadership on a number of topics, especially the Trump administration's immigration enforcement ramp-up.
In her opening remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Noem defended her department, which she said is being strained by the partial government shutdown.
"The latest Democrat-led shutdown of DHS is reckless. It's unnecessary, and it undermines the American national security," she said.
The secretary did not acknowledge the shooting deaths of Renee Good or Alex Pretti in her opening statement, but was pressed again and again by lawmakers to explain, retract or apologize for her response in the immediate aftermath of their deaths.
DHS has been roiled by public outcry over its aggressive tactics and the climbing number of shooting deaths – including Good and Pretti – at the hands of federal immigration agents. Bystander videos later countered the administration's narratives around these shootings and other violent confrontations with agents.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., asked if Noem wanted to apologize for her characterization of the victims.
Noem, as she had done throughout the hearing, offered her condolences and didn't apologize. She did promise to "work hard to give everybody factual information."
Texas is one of three states that have kicked off this year's midterm elections. (And the record-setting Senate primaries in Texas are worth watching.)
Politics in the Lone Star State has never lacked larger-than-life personalities.
One early political figure stands out in American history as the only person to serve as governor of two different U.S. states.
Our question: Who was this person — and what was the other state he represented besides Texas?
Send your answers to NewsHourPolitics@newshour.org or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: Which U.S. president resumed the practice of in-person delivery of State of the Union addresses after a century of U.S. leaders submitting their written reports to Congress?
The answer:Woodrow Wilson. The 28th president wrote his 1913 speech on his typewriter, clocking in around 3,500 words. The Washington Post reported that it took Wilson 28 minutes to deliver his speech to Congress.
Congratulations to our winners: Jamie Feicht and Julie Byrne!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We'll drop into your inbox next week.
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