Republican senators in the US have announced that they will ask the White House to account to Congress regarding the war in Iran, at a time when the legal deadline within which any conflict requires the approval of lawmakers is approaching.
Senator Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated that after the expiration of the 60-day deadline provided for by the War Powers Act, which is expected at the end of this week, the president "has to get Congressional approval or Congress can block it. Those are two options, but Congress has to act," CNN reports.
Meanwhile, Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he would be "surprised" if US President Donald Trump did not request an extension of the deadline for Congressional approval for another 30 days.
According to him, the president has the legal right to such an extension if he can justify that it is necessary for the safe withdrawal of forces.
“We will be asking questions during this period,” Rounds said. He added that he expects senators to question Secretary of War Pete Hegseth later this week during a closed session of the Budget Committee.
"We definitely want to get answers, and if necessary in a confidential environment, so be it," he concluded.
