Context:

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called on President Trump and his administration to provide justification for recent U.S. military strikes in Iran, citing a lack of evidence under the War Powers Act or the Constitution. Jeffries emphasized the need for the Trump administration to present its case to Congress and the American public, highlighting a division within the Democratic Party over the strikes. Some Democrats support the action while progressives, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are pushing for Trump's impeachment. Jeffries has requested a briefing for top party and intelligence leaders to discuss the situation further. The White House maintains that the strike complied with legal requirements, while bipartisan efforts are underway to limit presidential power to conduct such actions unilaterally.

Dive Deeper:

• Hakeem Jeffries has demanded that President Trump justify the recent military strikes in Iran, arguing that there is no evidence supporting the action under the War Powers Act or the Constitution. He insists that the administration must convince Congress and the American people about the necessity of the strikes.

• The Trump administration asserts that the strikes were compliant with the War Powers Act, which mandates notifying Congress within 48 hours and limits military operations to 60 days without congressional approval.

• The military action has caused a split among Democrats, with pro-Israel moderates supporting the strikes, while progressives, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are advocating for Trump's impeachment.

• A bipartisan resolution led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna seeks to restrict Trump's ability to initiate military actions against Iran without congressional consent.

• Jeffries avoided direct responses to impeachment inquiries, instead focusing on the necessity for the Trump administration to present evidence justifying the strikes to Congress, emphasizing that it is a critical responsibility.

• The White House claims to have made bipartisan calls to congressional leaders before the strike, although Jeffries reportedly could not be reached at the time.

• This situation has led to wider discussions on the balance of power between the presidency and Congress regarding military engagements, highlighting ongoing debates on the constitutional limits of executive authority in wartime actions.