US Congress bill to prohibit Trump's preemptive strike of North Korea

By Kim Rahn

More than 60 U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill to prevent U.S. President Donald Trump from launching a pre-emptive strike on North Korea without the approval of the Congress.

Congressman John Conyers, a Korean War veteran, said Thursday in a press release on his website that he and Senator Edward J. Markey proposed the bipartisan and bicameral legislation to reaffirm the constitutional power of Congress to declare war.

The move comes as Trump is continuously talking about the possibility of military options to handle North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, with bellicose rhetoric toward the Kim Jong-un regime such as “fire and fury” and “totally destroy North Korea.”

Another 60 members of the Congress joined the move, he said.

The bill, named “No Unconstitutional Strike Against North Korea Act of 2017,” prohibits funds to the Department of Defense or any other government organizations from being used to launch a strike against the North without the approval of Congress, according to the press release.

Exceptions are applied when repelling a sudden attack, defending the U.S.’s allies and rescuing U.S. personnel, it said.

“As a veteran of the Korean War, I am ashamed that our commander-in-chief is conducting himself in a reckless manner that endangers our troops stationed in South Korea and our regional allies,” Conyers said. “That is why Congress is standing up today to ensure that this administration understands that the Constitution does not permit military attacks without congressional approval.”

The lawmakers also called for diplomatic resolution to the issue, urging Trump to stop talks of pre-emptive war and instead seek a diplomatic path, which they said is advocated by both American experts and the South Korean government.

The legislation cited the words of George Washington, the framer of the Constitution, who wrote: “The Constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.”