WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The House narrowly rejected Thursday to curb powers in the Iran war, an early sign of unease in Congress over the rapidly that is reordering U.S. priorities at home and abroad.
It’s the second vote in as many days, after . Lawmakers are confronting the sudden reality of representing wary Americans in wartime and all that entails 鈥� with , dollars spent and alliances tested by a president’s unilateral decision to go to .
While the tally in the House, 212-219, was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for, and opposition to, the U.S.-Israel military operation and for bypassing Congress, which alone has the power to declare war. At the Capitol, the conflict has quickly carried echoes of the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and many Sept. 11-era veterans now serve in Congress.
鈥淒onald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
House warned that it would be 鈥渄angerous鈥� to limit the president鈥檚 authority while the U.S. military is already in conflict.
鈥淲e are not at war,” said Johnson, R-La., a close ally of Trump, contradicting others. He said the operation is limited in scope and duration, and the “mission is nearly accomplished.鈥�
Republicans largely back Trump, and most Democrats oppose the war
Trump鈥檚 Republican Party, which narrowly controls the House and Senate, largely sees the conflict with Iran not as the start of a new war, but the end of a government that has long menaced the West. The operation has killed , which some view as an opportunity for regime change, though others warn of a chaotic power vacuum.
Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, publicly thanked Trump for taking action against Iran, saying the president is using his own constitutional authority to defend the U.S. against the 鈥渋mminent threat鈥� the country posed.
Mast, an Army veteran who worked as a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, said the war powers resolution was effectively asking 鈥渢hat the president do nothing.鈥�
For Democrats, Trump’s attack on Iran, influenced by , is a war of choice that is testing the balance of powers in the Constitution.
鈥淭he framers weren鈥檛 fooling around,鈥� said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., arguing that the Constitution is clear that only Congress can decide matters of war. 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to us.鈥�
Crossover coalitions emerged among those in Congress. Two Republicans joined most Democrats in voting for the war powers resolution, while four Democrats joined Republicans to reject it.
The war powers resolution, if signed into law, would have immediately halted Trump’s ability to conduct the war unless Congress approved the military action. The president would likely veto it.
Trump officials provide shifting rationale for war
Trump has scrambled to win support for the nearly week-old conflict as Americans of all political persuasions . Administration officials spent hours behind closed doors on Capitol Hill this week trying to reassure lawmakers that they have the situation under control.
over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait, and Trump has said more Americans could die. Thousands of Americans abroad have , many lighting up phone lines at congressional offices as they sought help trying to flee the Middle East.
Trump said Thursday he in choosing Iran鈥檚 new leader. Yet , R-La., said this week that America has enough problems at home and is not about to be in the 鈥渘ation-building business.鈥�
said that the war could extend eight weeks, twice as long as the president first estimated. Trump has left open the possibility of sending U.S. troops into what has largely been a bombing campaign. More than in Iran have died.
The administration said the goal is to destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles that it believes are shielding its nuclear program. It has also said Israel was ready to act, and American bases would face retaliation if the U.S. did not strike Iran first. The U.S. said Wednesday it near Sri Lanka.
“This administration can’t even give us a straight answer of as to why we launched this preemptive war,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, the Republican from Kentucky, an outlier in his party.
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who had teamed up to force the release the Jeffrey Epstein files, also pushed the war powers resolution to the floor, past objections from Johnson’s GOP leadership. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, a former Army Ranger, also voted for it. Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Juan Vargas of California voted against.
鈥淐ongress must stand with the president to finally close, once and for all, this dark chapter of history,鈥� said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., said that as the daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled their homeland, she opposes the regime but is concerned that a democratic transition for the people of Iran never seems to a priority for Trump or the officials who briefed Congress.
鈥淲ar carries profound and deadly consequences for our troops, for the American people and for the entire world,” she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most serious decision that a nation can make.鈥�
Other Democrats have proposed an alternative resolution that would allow the president to continue the war for 30 days before he must seek congressional approval. The House also approved a separate measure affirming that Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism.
Senators sit in their desks for solemn vote
In the Senate, Republican leaders have successfully, though narrowly, defeated a series of war powers resolutions pertaining to several other conflicts during Trump’s second term. This one, however, was different.
Underscoring the gravity Wednesday, Democratic senators sat at their desks as the voting got underway.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that every senator will pick a side. 鈥淒o you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East?” he asked. Or with Trump and Hegseth “as they bumble us headfirst into another war?鈥�
Sen. John Barrasso, second in Senate Republican leadership, said, 鈥淒emocrats would rather obstruct Donald Trump than obliterate Iran鈥檚 national nuclear program.”
The legislation failed on a 47-53 tally mostly along party lines, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in favor and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., against.
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