The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected a resolution aimed at restricting President Donald Trump's war powers, marking the fifth time the Senate has voted down similar resolutions since the U.S. launched military operations against Iran in late February.
The resolution, sponsored by Democrats, demanded that Trump end military operations in Iran and that any further military action against the country must receive congressional approval.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will continue to push for votes on the war powers resolution every week. Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the power to authorize war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 stipulates that the president may take limited military action without prior congressional approval only in cases of a national emergency caused by an attack on the United States or an imminent threat.
US Senate rejects bid to curb Trump's war powers for 5th time
Japan's House of Representatives approved a bill to establish a national intelligence committee on Thursday, prompting widespread public questions and concerns. In March, the Japanese government approved a resolution to submit the relevant bill to the Diet, proposing a new intelligence mechanism centered on a national intelligence council with the national intelligence committee serving as its executive body.
According to the bill, the new committee will be tasked with coordinating "important intelligence activities" in areas such as national security and counter-terrorism, as well as "overseas intelligence activities" involving foreign espionage.
The bill also states that the committee's secretariat will "comprehensively coordinate" intelligence work across government ministries and agencies, with the authority to request that they share information.
The bill now moves to the upper house for review.
The bill and a series of reckless moves by the Takaichi administration have fueled deep public concern. Protesters gathered to voice their opposition to the legislation before its passage.
"Right now, the Takaichi administration is trying to drag Japan into war, through actions like promoting weapons imports and exports, provoking China, and failing to offer the apologies it should have made afterward. Against this backdrop, opposition voices are actually quite strong, but these remarks will be regulated. Once such a bill passes, not even opposing voices will be able to speak out. This is something I do not want to see," said a protester.
These grave concerns were widely echoed by other rally attendees, who said they cannot accept a string of radical moves by the Japanese government and the Takaichi administration, including the lifting of the ban on lethal weapons exports and the relentless push to amend Japan's pacifist constitution.
"Takaichi is forcing all of these moves through. Promoting this bill and lifting the ban on arms exports mean heading towards war," said another rally participant.
"I believe amending the Constitution is completely unacceptable. The Constitution is not something that members of the National Diet can revise on a whim, and it should never be revised in the first place," said another protester.
Japanese lower house approves bill to establish national intelligence committee, sparking protests
