A growing number of House Republicans are expressing public concerns about President Donald Trump’s potential deployment of US ground troops to Iran as the Pentagon is sending thousands of US paratroopers and other military members to the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Nearly every GOP lawmaker has voted to greenlight Trump’s military campaign. But a growing number of people, including some veterans, are expressing new reservations as evidence mounts that Trump could escalate the war to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, secure Iran’s nuclear stockpile or pursue other strategic goals.<\/p>\n
“I’m really, really hopeful that this doesn’t turn into a boots-on-the-ground situation,” Rep. ellie crane<\/a> (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Thursday. “My biggest concern this whole time is that this will turn into another long Middle Eastern war.”<\/p>\n Crane said, “Although I do not want to try to take away any of the President’s ability to carry out this operation, I know that many of our supporters and many members of Congress are very concerned about this possibility.”<\/p>\n The comments by the MAGA-affiliated former Navy SEAL, who served five wartime deployments, underscored deepening concern among Republicans on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n Some are warning publicly and privately that the medium-term response to any ground attack on Iran would be swift and severe.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lose 60 to 70 seats,\u201d said one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak openly about the matter.<\/p>\n Senior House Democrats are planning to force another vote on a resolution that would restrict US military action in Iran. But he has delayed it until the House returns from recess in mid-April because of absences in his ranks and a need to secure more GOP support after a similar measure failed earlier this month.<\/p>\n House Democratic leaders are working to overturn a handful of Democrats who opposed the previous war powers resolution and now believe they need just one more Republican to vote yes at this point, according to three people who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely about private conversations.<\/p>\n “No US troops on the ground,” Rep. nancy mace<\/a> (R-S.C.) said in an interview, suggesting she could be the third Republican to break with Trump and help pass a Democratic-led war powers measure next month.<\/p>\n “If we are at this stage where there are troops on the ground, we are in a different stage of the conflict that requires input from Congress,” Mace said.<\/p>\n Representative. derrick van orden<\/a> (R-Wis.), another retired Navy SEAL who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and represents a competing district, said in an interview that he has been “very clear” that he does not support deploying uniformed U.S. troops on the ground in Iran.<\/p>\n Van Orden said she believes Trump has “learned” from the mistakes of previous presidents, who trapped the country in endless wars abroad.<\/p>\n House GOP leaders are mindful of the promises that many of their front-line officeholders made to their constituents who won tight contests: Republicans will not pursue endless military campaigns and regime change abroad.<\/p>\n Asked about the Pentagon sending several thousand US Marines to the Middle East last week, Mr Speaker mike johnson<\/a> Said, \u201cI have not seen its details.\u201d<\/p>\n Following more reports of troop deployments this week, Johnson said the US is “ending” the current military campaign against Iran and that he does not believe a US strike on the ground is “the intention” that Trump is pursuing.<\/p>\n He said in a Fox News interview on Thursday that it “should not be necessary” for the US military to invade Iran. “I think we can solve this without it.”<\/p>\n But concerns are growing among the GOP rank and file, especially after a classified briefing on Wednesday to members of the Armed Services Committee about the administration’s plans for divisions being sent to the region around Iran left many without answers.<\/p>\n