politics
Outgoing senator criticizes president over Iran war briefing
A Republican senator leaving office after losing his primary accused the president of treating Congress as an appendage in the Iran conflict. He said the president later granted a briefing after a heated exchange.
The HillAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
An outgoing Republican senator from Louisiana said the president treated Congress as "merely an appendage" in handling the Iran war and failed to brief lawmakers as required by the Constitution. The senator spoke on Sunday to CBS News's Face the Nation. He described a Capitol Hill lunch where the president berated him and three other Republican senators who backed a war-powers resolution.
He argued that the founders designed the separation of powers to prevent any single institution from becoming too strong. After the exchange, the president arranged a briefing for the senator with the vice president and a special envoy. The senator then dropped his support for the resolution.
“I raised my volume to match his.”
future plans The senator lost his seat after the president backed a challenger who won a runoff election on Saturday. The challenger is now favored to win the November general election. The outgoing senator also questioned the president's focus on new federal voting restrictions. He said the priority should instead be making life more affordable for families.
confirmation stance The senator stated the conflict had cost $29 billion and 13 American lives. He said a medium-sized power had fought a superpower to a draw. He also signaled he may oppose confirmation of the acting attorney general over a proposed $1.8 billion fund and plans to shield the president and his family from IRS audits.
A fellow Republican senator from Kansas offered a more positive assessment on NBC's Meet the Press, saying progress was being made and urging patience.
