Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives narrowly voted Thursday to reject a resolution that would have restricted Donald Trump from continuing military operations against Iran, one day after the United States Senate blocked a similar measure.
The vote, 219–212, effectively cleared the way for Trump to continue a widening military campaign against Iran that began last weekend. Taken together, the House and Senate votes represent an implicit congressional authorization for the president’s actions, even as public opinion surveys show many Americans oppose the conflict.
Only two Republicans — Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio — broke with the administration and joined most Democrats in supporting the resolution.
Four Democrats — Jared Golden of Maine, Greg Landsman of Ohio, Juan Vargas of California and Henry Cuellar of Texas — voted with Republicans to reject it.
Bipartisan effort to halt war powers
The measure was authored by Massie and Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, in a bipartisan attempt to force congressional approval before the U.S. could continue hostilities against Iran.
The legislation would have required the administration to halt military operations unless Congress voted to declare war or explicitly authorize the use of force.
Massie and Khanna have previously partnered on other high-profile legislation, including efforts tied to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated the release of records connected to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Democrats argued that the Constitution gives Congress — not the president — the authority to declare war.
Debate over war authority
Even before the vote, Massie acknowledged the resolution was unlikely to pass but said forcing a public debate on the House floor was valuable.
“A war is never more popular than it is on the first day,” Massie told reporters. “And I think enthusiasm for this will decline.”
“As the true cost of this war starts to be known and starts to pile up, there’ll be more support to end it,” he added.
At least six Americans have been killed since the conflict began, according to Defense Department officials.
Democratic criticism
Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, sharply criticized the administration and Republican lawmakers during his weekly press conference.
Jeffries accused Trump of dragging the country into another prolonged conflict in the Middle East while domestic issues remain unresolved.
“What’s the justification for sending American men and women into a theater of war, risking their lives?” Jeffries asked. “We’ve already tragically lost six heroic service men and women, and we mourn for them, and we pray for their families, and we don’t want to see any more American lives lost in Trump’s war of choice.”
Republican defense of strikes
Republicans defended the president’s actions, arguing the strikes were necessary to counter what they described as an imminent threat posed by Iran.
Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, praised the president’s decision.
“Defending yourself is a choice,” Mast said. “Some people stand up, and they step into the fight, and they make the tough choice of going through the battles that it takes to defend yourself.”
Mast added that Trump had “the guts” to confront the threat posed by Iran and thanked the president for acting.
Trump has argued that the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes prevented Iran from launching attacks that could have escalated into a broader regional war.
Separate vote on Iran and DHS funding
Earlier Thursday, the House also approved a nonbinding resolution declaring that Iran remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. That measure passed 372–53, with all of the opposing votes coming from Democrats.
Lawmakers also passed a separate appropriations bill to end the shutdown of the United States Department of Homeland Security and fund the agency through September.
The funding bill passed 221–209, with four Democrats joining Republicans in support. However, the measure faces an uncertain future as congressional Democrats continue negotiating with the White House over immigration enforcement policies.
The House previously approved a similar bill in January, but the United States Senate removed the DHS funding provisions during negotiations over broader government spending legislation.
