Jerry Moran ‘not interested’ in political attack, but hasn’t made war-powers decision

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is undecided on whether to support a resolution concerning the president’s war powers, saying he isn’t interested in a political attack while also wanting Congress to be consulted about military action.

The war powers resolution is not binding on the president and would not require his signature. It asserts that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran.

A version of the resolution passed the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday while a similar proposal in the GOP-run Senate faces an uphill battle.

Moran, who was in Wichita on Thursday to tour an aviation manufacturing company, told reporters that he has not yet read the language of either war powers resolution and thus has not decided whether to back it.

“I’m not interested in any kind of episode that is just designed to politically attack the president or the administration,” Moran said. “I’ll wait to see what the actual words of that resolution turn out to be.

“I always think it is important — because the Constitution says it’s important — that Congress be consulted, and that we have certain responsibilities under the Constitution should there be the need for any declaration of war.”

However, he said, “both Iran and the United States are interested in deescalating” after a U.S. drone strike killed the top Iranian general, which was followed by a Iranian missile attacks against two military bases in Iraq in retaliation. The bases house American soldiers.

The attack on Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani was “appropriate,” Moran said, calling the military leader who had been linked to terrorism “a perpetrator of death.”

“I have been assured there are no known additional threats to the United States or in the United States that have occurred in the last several days,” Moran said.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 7:11 PM.