Politics and views in the United States.

Some members of Congress are upset about lack of transparency on Iran policy, but House Speaker questions constitutionality of War Powers Resolution, and Fed Chair explains why interest rates aren't being cut.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening.

What are they afraid of?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats are asking why the Trump administration continues to delay briefing Congress on the Iran-Israel war and the U.S.'s role.

Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday night, but by Wednesday morning, both had broken it.

Intelligence reports found U.S. airstrikes set Iran's nuclear program back months but didn't obliterate it, as President Donald Trump and others claimed.

The ceasefire will likely blunt calls for a war powers resolution.

And in fact, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is questioning the constitutionality of the 1973 law requiring a commander-in-chief to seek congressional approval for waging war.

If you look back at the founder's intent, you read the Federalist Papers, you read the records of the Constitutional Convention, I think that is right.

And many more scholars believe the president is correct.

He uses his executive authority in exactly the manner that he did over the weekend.

The Constitution plainly states only Congress has the right to wage war, but presidents from both parties have repeatedly ordered military action without legislative approval.

New polls show most Americans disapprove of the airstrikes on Iran, but with a partisan split.

More Republicans support the bombing, while Democrats and most independents oppose it.

Despite initial criticism from some figures in Trump's America First movement, polls show most trust his judgment.

Since the U.S. strikes, Trump's social media posts have inconsistently suggested he might support regime change in Iran.

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has long been allied with Israelis who say that's the best way forward.

Graham is now saying Iran can change to support peace in the Middle East, or the U.S. can look for ways to help the Iranians who want a different government.

The religious fanatics reject their agenda.

They change their behavior.

Maybe that'll happen, I don't know.

Or you change the people.

And you replace the religious fanatics with people in Iran who do not want to destroy the world, who do not want to create a master religion, who want to live in peace.

But Georgetown University professor Mehran Kamrava says regime change wouldn't be easy or simple.

Though Ayatollah Khamenei's government is deeply unpopular among what's left of the Iranian middle class, he says the opposition is fragmented and discontent alone isn't enough to dislodge the regime.

It also has the diehard support of anywhere between 15 to 20 percent of the population that is motivated by the government's ideology.

Meanwhile, Fed Chair Jerome Powell delivered the semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress.

Powell has argued slowing inflation and low unemployment supports keeping interest rates stable and he said rate changes should move in conjunction with those of other countries.

But Powell has also warned of possible trouble ahead, notably inflationary pressure from tariffs and workforce issues related to migrant sweeps.

The forecast by all professional forecasters that I know of on the outside and the Fed do expect a meaningful increase in inflation over the course of this year.

This comes as Iran may attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas moves on its way to China and other Asian markets.

That could quickly send the price of oil well over $100 a barrel.

I'm Edwin J. Vera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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