House passes war powers resolution to limit Trump's military authority in Iran
The 215-208 vote marked a rare bipartisan rebuke of the President Trump’s handling of the conflict, though the measure faces an uncertain path in the Senate and a likely presidential veto
The US House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution on Wednesday seeking to halt military action against Iran without congressional authorization. This is seen as a rare defeat to President Donald Trump as four Republicans broke ranks to side with Democrats in a 215-208 vote.
All Democrats present voted for the measure. The four Republicans who crossed party lines were Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Tom Barrett of Michigan. Massie said after the vote that "people are tired of this," citing high fuel prices and the cost of fertilizer as drivers of public frustration. Fitzpatrick defended his vote on procedural grounds, arguing the War Powers Act required Congress to weigh in.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who said every Democrat voted for the measure. "It is time for the president to do the right thing," Meeks said. "The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice."
The vote was the fourth attempt by the House to curb US military action against Iran since the conflict began on February 28, when the US joined Israel in launching strikes on Iran. Each successive vote has drawn more support as public and political unease with the war has grown. A Fox News poll published in May found roughly six in ten voters oppose military action against Iran, though 72% said the US is winning.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who abruptly canceled a planned vote on a similar resolution in May when Republican defections threatened its passage, warned Wednesday that the measure would undermine Trump's ability to negotiate a peace deal. Ahead of the vote, Trump told reporters that talks with Tehran were "going well" and suggested a deal could come by the weekend.
The resolution's path forward remains uncertain. The Senate advanced a similar measure last month with support from four Republican senators, but has yet to hold a final vote. Even if both chambers approve the resolution, Trump would likely veto it, and neither chamber has a veto-proof majority. Pentagon, State Department, and USAID inspectors general announced Wednesday they had launched a joint review of the conflict, citing a legal mandate to probe overseas military operations exceeding 60 days.