There are two ways to look at what happened in Congress last week regarding President Donald Trump’s war against Iran. 

Looked at from one angle, the House and Senate, by narrow margins on largely party-line votes, rejected resolutions to end military operations against Iran. Taken up under an expedited procedure laid out by the War Powers Act, the resolutions would have limited the operations to 30 days and barred the president from introducing ground troops. 

Republican leaders could have used parliamentary maneuvers to delay action on the resolutions, which were mainly being pushed by Democrats. But confident there would be only a handful of Republicans willing to buck the president, they gave them their vote. 

It was a victory for the president and his policy.  But viewed from a different angle, it was another example of Congress’ unwillingness to exercise its rightful and exclusive role in the constitutional order to decide if the country should be at war.  

If they really thought the war was necessary and just, Republicans should have used the War Powers Act to pass a joint resolution authorizing military action with whatever limits they........

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