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Ro Khanna: Introduce Senate Democrats’ Bipartisan Iran War Powers Resolution [1]

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Date: 2025-07-07

To: Ro Khanna

From: Robert Naiman

Re: Introduce Senate Democrats’ Bipartisan Kaine-Schiff-Kim Iran War Powers Resolution, which 46 out of 47 Senate Democrats and Rand Paul just voted for

Dear Ro,

Long time no see. We should grab coffee sometime. I noticed you’ve been quite active recently in the media and online. Mazl tov!

I’m writing to lobby you. “All politics is transactional.” I urge you to introduce in the House the Privileged Bipartisan Kaine-Schiff-Kim Iran War Powers Resolution that 46 out of 47 Senate Democrats and Rand Paul just voted for.

As you are well aware, there are now two competing Iran War Powers Resolutions circulating in the House. The Original, Authentic Bipartisan Privileged Iran War Powers Resolution that you introduced with Mr. Massie, and the ersatz AIPAC simulacrum introduced by Mr. Meeks, Mr. Himes, and Mr. Smith. As you know, Mr. Johnson has threatened to try to strip any Iran War Powers Resolution of Privilege, so that it cannot be used to force a vote. Therefore, as you know, we need to unite the House Bipartisan Iran War Powers Patriots to prepare to outvote Mr. Johnson on any “Save Our Wolves” Rule that blocks a vote. I “heard it through the grapevine” that you may be involved in negotiations with Mr. Meeks.

I have an Immodest Proposal. Why don’t you just introduce the Senate Democrats’ Bipartisan language, the Kaine-Schiff-Kim Iran War Powers Resolution, that 46 of 47 Senate Democrats and Rand Paul just voted for? Including Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Ossoff, Ms. Slotkin, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. Blumenthal. How do you like them apples for Important Validators? They could publicly recite the Kaddish. They have a [non-Orthodox] minyan.

As you know, the Kaine-Schiff-Kim “Rule of Construction” makes clear that we’re talking about prohibiting unauthorized [and therefore unconstitutional] offensive military operations in Iran, not missile defense in other countries. As you also know, without such explicit clarification, we very likely don’t have the votes in the House to walk the dog. The Kaine-Schiff-Kim “Rule of Construction” correctly addresses this issue precisely and accurately, with the smallest possible explicit exclusion. Perhaps, somewhere in the bowels of the Senate, toils a thankless anonymous Senate staffer who knows how to write War Powers Legislation. Stranger things have happened.

In contrast, even HFAC (“AIPAC, HFAC, vats the difference?”) conceded that the Meeks-Himes-Smith language was “poorly drafted.” Josh Paul - you remember Josh Paul, he resigned from the Biden State Department over Gaza - wrote of the AIPAC-Meeks bill that:

‘This Resolution has a loophole so big you could fly a B-2 through it.



The explicit carve-out to defend “an ally or partner of the United States from imminent attack..." divides the existing caucus against further U.S. military action in Iran, and appears worded in a way that it would permit pre-emptive U.S. attacks against Iranian targets even if they are not preparing to attack American assets, which defeats much of the purpose of the Resolution.’

Yasmine Taeb of MPower Change - I think you knew her when she worked at FCNL - told the Intercept of the AIPAC-Meeks bill that:

“We think if it passes, it would be worse than not having a war powers resolution. This war powers resolution gives the impression that the president has broad authority to be able to engage in military offensive action with respect to Iran — if Israel is asking us to.”

As you know, the Blob-AIPAC-Neocon Industrial Complex has long sought to secure a blanket exemption from the U.S. Constitution and U.S. law for offensive U.S. military activity in the Middle East on behalf of well-connected and well-resourced foreign governments. In a sense, that’s what the Yemen War Powers Resolution struggle was all about. Yes, the Saudis are our “allies.” Does that mean that Article I of the Constitution is cancelled? The War Powers Resolution, the Arms Export Control Act, the Foreign Assistance Act, the Leahy Laws, all cancelled? Surely not. We swore an oath.

Now the Blob-AIPAC-Neocon Industrial Complex is back like Freddy, trying to get the same exemption from Article I of the Constitution that they sought for the Saudis, this time for Pharaoh Bibi’s “I start it, you finish it” offensive regime change war against Iran, which they hope to rekindle at the first opportunity. They’re trying to carve out Pharaoh Bibi’s endless offensive wars from Article I. They’re trying to give away the Constitutional store to Pharaoh Bibi. Yes, Israel is our “ally.” Yes, we want Israeli civilians to be ok. [Even my cousins who live across the Green Line, we also want them to be ok.] That does not exempt the U.S.-Israel relationship from Article I. Even relationships with NATO treaty allies are not exempt from Article I. That’s codified in the North Atlantic Treaty. If it weren’t, the Senate never would have ratified the treaty.

I urge you to Stand Your Ground for Article I in any negotiations with Mr. Meeks. 46 of 47 Senate Democrats (and Rand Paul) agreed to the Kaine-Schiff-Kim language. What’s the excuse, what’s the urgency for House Democrats to adopt “loophole so big you could fly a B-2 through it” language that flagrantly contradicts Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973? I submit that there is no good excuse and no urgency, and ask the Court for Summary Judgment.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/7/2332204/-Ro-Khanna-Introduce-Senate-Democrats-Bipartisan-Iran-War-Powers-Resolution?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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