Several senior White House officials are accusing congressional Democrats of using war powers oversight as a political tactic to delay President Donald Trump's national security agenda, arguing the effort has instead produced repeated votes backing the administration's military operations.
According to the Washington Examiner, the officials said Democratic attempts to challenge or scrutinize U.S. military actions abroad have "overwhelmingly backfired," prompting Congress to reaffirm support for the president's policies multiple times.
"Democrats have sort of perverted this into a method to delay or obstruct the Republican agenda," one senior White House official told the outlet.
"While at the very same time having confirmed Congress' perspective on these war operations more times than any Congress in history."
The remarks come amid a series of congressional debates over the scope of presidential authority to conduct military operations overseas.
In recent months, Democrat lawmakers have introduced resolutions and pursued procedural tactics intended to force votes on the administration's military posture and require additional congressional oversight.
Supporters of those measures say they are meant to reassert Congress' constitutional role in authorizing the use of force, particularly as lawmakers continue to debate the relevance of existing authorizations passed years ago.
Some Democrats argue Congress has a responsibility to review deployments and strikes to ensure they align with U.S. law and national security interests.
White House officials, however, say the strategy has had the opposite effect.
"The Democratic gadfly strategy on these, which they've been relatively explicit about, has overwhelmingly backfired," one senior official told the Examiner, adding that the votes have "led to more congressional support for President Trump's efforts to safeguard American troops and interests abroad, rather than less."
One official singled out Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has led several efforts to force Senate votes on war powers resolutions.
Kaine, the official said, is pursuing "a gadfly strategy masquerading as a constitutional effort."
Anna Kelly, the White House's principal deputy press secretary, also criticized the Democrat approach.
"Instead of showcasing Republican divisions, they have put the Congress on record over and over again backing the president's constitutional authorities to carry out his policies," Kelly wrote in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
She added that the war powers effort "has to rate as one of the worst legislative strategies of all time."
Another senior White House official told the outlet that Democrats have repeatedly failed to gain traction in those votes.
"They have lost every single vote at this point, other than a single procedural motion in the Senate, which was quickly reversed," the official said. "If I were zero for nine on these votes, the press would be writing about it."
Republican lawmakers have echoed that criticism, arguing Democrat efforts are designed to create political friction rather than substantively alter U.S. military policy.
"Every time President Trump has used our military to protect American interests, Senate Democrats have shown that they would rather play politics and jam up the Senate floor than support our troops," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told the Examiner.
Added Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.: "They aren't focused on helping people or protecting Americans. None of that is true.
"These resolutions are about slowing down the Senate, throwing sand into the gears. All to try to create theater," he said.
"Not to help protect our troops, not to help protect our people, not to make the world safer. Not at all. That's what this is all about. Democrats' hand has been shown."
Disputes over war powers have long fueled tensions between Congress and the White House. While the Constitution gives Congress authority to declare war, presidents from both parties have historically asserted broad powers as commander in chief to conduct military operations abroad.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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