Congressional Republicans are resisting calls to hold hearings on the Iran war, creating a new standoff with Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s case for the conflict.

Republicans in Congress have so far avoided public debate about the war, even as Senate Democrats have used every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Increasingly frustrated, Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping efforts to modify the Senate voting schedule will prompt Republicans to act.

“We’ve had absolutely no oversight of what the executive branch is doing because we’re spending a billion dollars a day, and we’ve failed to have any real substantive discussion or debate,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

He watches: More Marines are heading to the Middle East as the United States continues its ongoing strikes on Iran

The role Congress plays in the deliberations is an unsettled issue that carries enormous risks, given that legislators have the power to shape the course of the conflict as its costs and losses increase. So far, 13 military personnel have been killed and billions of dollars have been spent, but President Donald Trump has not requested Congressional approval to attack Iran.

As the 17th day of the conflict dawned on Monday, Republican lawmakers remained mostly resistant to the idea of ​​being forced to quickly give public testimony before Congress.

How GOP leaders are handling hearing calls

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters last week that he did not expect public hearings on the Iran war specifically, but noted that they would inevitably come in the regular cadence of testimony on military policy and spending.

“They briefed us on it,” said Thune, the director of State Security, referring to classified briefings from the Trump administration. Those sessions have been held behind closed doors, and most lawmakers refuse to reveal more than the topics of public discussion.

Thune also noted there are regular press conferences by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They “answer the difficult questions being asked,” Thune said.

The GOP chairs of committees that deal with national security also said they had no near-term plans to hold war hearings, though some acknowledged the importance of questioning lawmakers.

Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said holding regular hearings on Capitol Hill would provide lawmakers with ample opportunities to ask questions.

“We’re going to do generous oversight, comprehensive oversight,” said Wicker, the Republican representative for Miss USA.

Some Republicans are looking forward to an expected supplemental budget request from the Trump administration to cover the costs of the war. However, that request is likely weeks away and faces a difficult path through Congress.

Democrats noted that the Pentagon had already received additional funding from the tax cut law passed by Republicans last year, providing funding for GOP priorities, including at the Pentagon.

Some Republicans are increasingly cautious

However, a few Republicans are starting to show discomfort with the lack of high-level responses from the Trump administration, especially as they brace for a massive war bill from the administration.

“I don’t want to get the bill from the Department of Defense, saying this is what it’s going to cost,” said Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. “I want them to do business with us.”

She added that it’s important for lawmakers to get the information in classified briefings and public hearings “so the public can better understand that, too.”

Another GOP senator on the powerful Appropriations Committee, John Kennedy of Louisiana, walked out of a secret news conference last week angry that it was a “total waste of time” because officials couldn’t provide the answers that senior Cabinet officials could.

He watches: The United States appears to be “on its way” to deploying ground forces in Iran, Blumenthal says after a classified briefing

Republicans have almost uniformly supported Trump’s decision to launch an attack on Iran, although many are wary of a protracted conflict. Trump has toggled between different goals for the war, ranging from crippling Iran’s military capabilities to demanding “unconditional surrender.”

“I think we have to let the goal go as far as we can,” said Sen. Cynthis Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming. “If the effort becomes ambiguous about how to get there, that might be a good time to have some hearings, but it’s too early.”

But as the midterm elections approach, Republicans also realize that public support for the war remains tepid.

“I wish we could get a lot of this out publicly because that would make it much easier to explain to the American people,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-D., adding that classified briefings are necessary to protect American service members now that the war has begun.

How Democrats can force debate

Meanwhile, Democrats are threatening to do whatever they can to draw attention to the war, even if it means forcing votes that repeatedly fail.

A group of six Democrats said that unless hearings are scheduled with Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Cabinet officials, they will call daily votes on a series of war powers resolutions that if passed would require Trump to get congressional approval before carrying out any further attacks on Iran. Similar resolutions have already been rejected by both houses of the Republican-controlled Congress.

However, the votes will eat up valuable time on the Senate floor and set the stage for debate on the conflict, just as Senate Republicans plan to spend much of the week trying to pass Trump’s priority legislation to impose strict new citizenship proof requirements for voting.

The group of Democratic senators also hinted at using other tactics to slow down the Senate’s work on other matters.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, told reporters that unless there was a commitment to hold public hearings, “We will not allow the Senate to continue business as usual. We will not allow the Senate to be silenced.”