WASHINGTON?Thirty-one House members filed suit against President Bush Tuesday in an effort to block the president from withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

The United States officially leaves the treaty on Thursday, six months after Bush announced his intentions to do so. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, the lead plaintiff, said the president does not have the authority to unilaterally withdraw from a treaty and should first seek the consent of Congress.

“The Constitution of the United States is being demolished and we need to challenge that in court,” he said.

The lawsuit also names Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell as defendants. The plaintiffs are all democrats, except for one independent. The lead lawyer for the House lawmakers, Peter Weiss, said if the court does not act by Thursday, a later decision in their favor could be retroactive.