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Schiff Calls Libya War-Powers Rationale 'Totally Vague' After Maher Reveals Obama-Era Source

The on-air exchange refocused attention on presidential war powers after the House narrowly rejected a bid to halt U.S. strikes in Iran.

Overview

  • On HBO's Real Time, Bill Maher read a justification for using force that Sen. Adam Schiff criticized before Maher noted it came from a 2011 Obama-era Office of Legal Counsel opinion about Libya.
  • Schiff pivoted to past debates over Syria and argued that Congress must assert its constitutional role on war-making, saying the United States is now at war.
  • A bipartisan House resolution led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to block continued operations in Iran failed 212–219, allowing Operation Epic Fury to proceed.
  • Republican leaders and the Trump administration maintain the president is acting within his authority, with Speaker Mike Johnson describing the current military action as limited in scope.
  • On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran would be hit very hard and boasted of recent gains, while some reporting says he has expressed interest in a limited ground deployment.