House passes measure to curb Trump’s Iran war powers

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to force President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for military action against Iran or withdraw U.S. forces, delivering the clearest bipartisan rebuke yet of his handling of the conflict.

The war powers resolution passed 215 to 208, with four Republicans — Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Tom Barrett of Michigan — joining Democrats. The vote marked the fourth House attempt this year to rein in Trump’s war powers over Iran, and the first to succeed.

The measure now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, where a similar resolution advanced last month after several Republican senators broke with their party. A final Senate vote has not been scheduled. Even if the measure clears Congress, Trump is expected to veto it, and Wednesday’s House margin fell far short of the two-thirds majority needed in both chambers to override a veto.

The conflict began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to NPR and Al Jazeera. Trump did not seek congressional approval, and his administration has argued against efforts to use the 1973 War Powers Act to restrict the campaign. Trump has described the military action as a “skirmish” or a “short-term excursion,” Al Jazeera reported.

Under the War Powers Act, a president must end hostilities after 60 days without congressional authorization, with the possibility of a 30-day extension. The conflict has now passed the 90-day mark, a threshold cited by critics who say the administration must obtain approval from Congress. The White House has rejected that argument, pointing to a temporary ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, though the ceasefire has been broken several times by the U.S., Israel and Iran, The Guardian reported.

Fitzpatrick said after the vote that his decision was based on the law. “We’re past the 60 days, so you have two choices. You either follow the law or you change the law. You can’t violate the law. That’s not an option,” he said, according to NPR.

Barrett, an Army veteran from Michigan, said Congress must decide the limits of the mission. “Congress has the exclusive authority under the Constitution to declare war and authorize the use of force. The War Powers Act of 1973 delegates some of that authority to the president for a limited period of time,” he wrote. “That authority has expired.” Asked by the BBC whether he feared retaliation from Trump, Barrett said: “I vote my conscience for what I think is right and willing to accept that.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump’s actions ahead of the vote. “Remember … Iran declared war on us 47 years ago. They chant ‘death to America.’ The president is trying to keep the people safe,” Johnson told reporters, according to NPR.

Democrats called on the Senate to act. “Following repeated attempts to get sycophants in the Republican-controlled House to join us, House Democrats successfully passed our War Powers Resolution today to stand up for the American people and hold Donald Trump accountable,” House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement. “It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”

The resolution had been scheduled for a vote two weeks earlier, but Republican leaders sent members home early for a May recess when it appeared the measure had enough support to pass. The delay did not stop four Republicans from backing it Wednesday.

The war has drawn public backlash and concern over its cost. Al Jazeera reported that the Pentagon estimated in May that $29 billion had been spent so far, while a Harvard public finance expert projected in April that the cost could rise above $1 trillion. A Marist poll cited by Al Jazeera found that 60% of U.S. citizens disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war, up from 54% in March.

Despite the ceasefire, fighting has continued. The BBC reported that the U.S. struck Iran in recent days and Tehran responded with strikes on Kuwait, a U.S. ally. Trump told reporters Wednesday that negotiations to end the war were going “very well” and could be finalized this weekend. “We hit them pretty hard the night before, and actually last night,” he said.