Greg Casar Vows Progressives Will Block Iran War Funding in a Democratic House

Rep. Greg Casar, the Texas Democrat who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said after Tuesday's election that progressives will make sure Congress does not fund the Iran war when Democrats, who are on track to win the House, take control in January.

On Thursday, CBS News estimated that the party was on pace to win 256 seats, up from the 214 it held going into the election.

"Everybody ran on ending the Iran war," Casar said. "Progressives are gonna make sure we don't fund it."

What Greg Casar Said About the Iran War

Casar argued that thin majorities had let "special interests" stall the party's agenda. "We've seen Democrats with narrow majorities have our mandate blocked by special interests just getting one or two members to hold back," he said. "But with an over 250 member majority, we can finally deliver on what so many voters were calling for and progressives are gonna be the deliver caucus."

He put the war alongside a list of economic promises: raising the minimum wage, universal and affordable childcare, expanding Social Security, and "taxing the rich and cracking down on corporate greed."

Casar did not say how progressives would cut off the money. He did not name an appropriations rider, a vote against the pending supplemental request or another war powers resolution, and he did not say whether funding for troops already deployed would be affected. His claim that "everybody" ran on ending the war is also his own description of the campaign. House Democrats' voting record on the war has been close to unanimous, but not entirely.

How House Democrats Have Voted on Iran War Powers

On March 5, the House rejected a war powers resolution 212-219. Four Democrats voted no: Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine and Juan Vargas of California, Roll Call reported. On May 14, a similar measure failed on a 212-212 tie with one Democrat opposed.

On June 3, the House passed its first resolution directing Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, 215-208. All 211 Democrats who voted supported it, along with four Republicans. The chamber passed similar measures again in July and on September 15, when the vote was 220-204. None of those measures has reached Trump's desk.

The Cost of the War and the Pending Request

The Pentagon told Congress the war had cost $47.1 billion as of October 16. About $29 billion of that is for replacing munitions, and the money has not yet been appropriated. The Pentagon is seeking $67 billion of the $87.6 billion supplemental request the White House sent Congress, which also includes farm aid and money for the Ebola response. Action on the request stalled while Congress was in recess for the midterms.

Republicans still control the House until the new Congress is seated on January 3, so the request could come up during the lame-duck session, before Casar's caucus gains any new leverage.

Where Democratic Leaders Stand

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker in January, has been guarded. On NBC's Meet the Press on March 8, he would not commit to blocking more war funding, saying "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He also said the administration had "failed to make its case" for "this war of choice in the Middle East."

The war is unpopular. A Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 found that 33 percent of adults approved of Trump's handling of the Iran military action and 65 percent disapproved. Republican approval had dropped to 63 percent, down from 69 percent in March. Trump's overall approval stands at 38.2 percent in PolitiKool's polling average.

What Happens Next

U.S. forces carried out limited strikes near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the eve of the election, while Qatari mediators pressed both sides on an interim deal. Inside Trump's own coalition, the war has also become a point of contention: Steve Bannon has called for a presidential commission on the Iran war "defeat".

If the war ends in a deal, the funding fight may come down to replacing munitions rather than paying for new operations. If it does not, the first test of Casar's pledge will be whether a Democratic leadership that has so far avoided a hard line on war money sides with its largest caucus.