Kaine: War against Iran is illegal

(Patria) - US Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called on his colleagues to support his bill to limit President Donald Trump's ability to launch military action against Iran without Congressional approval.

"This is an illegal war. I have a war powers resolution ready for a vote this week, and I encourage my colleagues to use the constitutional power vested in the legislative branch of government," Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, told Fox News Sunday.

Kaine, who said he had not seen any intelligence suggesting there was an "imminent threat from Iran that would justify sending our sons and daughters into war," was joined by several prominent Democrats who on Sunday called for an urgent vote.

Among them was Senator Adam Schiff of California, who called on Congress to return "as soon as possible and vote on a War Powers Resolution" in an interview with ABC.

But Senator Mark Kelly, a member of the Intelligence Committee, was more cautious when asked if he would vote for the war powers resolution.

"I will have to study it carefully, and I want to hear from the White House about their future strategy," the Arizona Democrat told NBC's "Meet the Press."

In the House of Representatives, where a similar initiative is underway, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California predicted for NBC that the vote would be very close.

"It will be very close, but I believe we will have all the Democrats," he said.