Washington – Democrats Want A Law To Stop Trump From Bombing North Korea

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    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju visit a cosmetics factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on October 28, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERSWashington – Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill on Tuesday they said would prevent President Donald Trump from launching a nuclear first strike on North Korea on his own, highlighting the issue days before the Republican’s first presidential trip to Asia.

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    The measure would stop Trump, or any U.S. president, from launching an attack on North Korea, or spending any money on a military strike, without congressional approval, unless North Korea has first attacked the United States.

    Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have been building after a series of nuclear and missile tests by North Korea and bellicose verbal exchanges between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

    The CIA has said North Korea could be only months away from developing the ability to hit the United States with a nuclear weapon, a scenario Trump has vowed to prevent.

    “I worry that the president’s enthusiasm will not be checked by the advisers around him,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, the legislation’s lead sponsor, told reporters on a conference call.

    Some Republicans have also expressed concern about Trump’s rhetoric, but none co-sponsored the bill, which is backed by seven Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent.

    Republicans control majorities in both the Senate and House, and there has been no indication that congressional leaders would allow a vote. Similar measures introduced earlier this year have also failed to advance.

    However, backers said they might try to pass it later this year by introducing it as an amendment to legislation such as a as a must-pass spending bill.

    “I have confidence that if this came to a vote on the floor of the Senate, it would prevail,” Murphy said.

    Lawmakers have been trying to take back more control over foreign policy from the White House.

    Congress passed a bill in July barring the president from lifting sanctions on Russia without lawmakers’ approval, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday held a hearing on a new authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, to exert some authority over the campaign against Islamic State and other militant groups.

    At that hearing, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Trump does not have the authority to use force against North Korea without an imminent threat, but they did not define what such a threat would be.


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    6 Comments
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    6 years ago

    Kim Jun when you strike your nukes at the USA please aim it first at Democratic Senator Chris Murphy’s home. Completely insane. So very sad

    AlbertEinstein
    AlbertEinstein
    6 years ago

    Let’s see: both houses of Congress have Republican majorities, the President can veto, and there will not be enough votes to override.

    Can you say grandstand?

    6 years ago

    you DemocRATS are NUTS – if you like North Korea you should all move there….

    6 years ago

    > unless North Korea has first attacked the United States

    Just what is the definition of “first attacked”? The news has already reported any number of missiles launched at/over U.S. protected targets. How many people have to die (and who do they have to be) before it is considered as “first attacked”?