Washington — The House is set to vote Thursday on a measure to block President Trump from taking further military action against Iran without congressional support, a day after a similar effort fell short in the Senate.
The war powers vote comes amid concerns that the U.S. could be engaged in another lengthy war in the Middle East, and as a CBS News poll shows the majority of Americans disapprove of U.S. military action against Iran. And further, two-thirds say the administration should obtain approval from Congress for further military action. Barring any last-minute surprises, however, the resolution is expected to meet the same fate in the House as it did in the Senate.
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has been one of the few Republican critics of the Trump administration’s offensives against Venezuela and Iran, introduced the war powers resolution days before the U.S. bombed three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. He backed away from forcing a vote last year after a ceasefire was reached.
The resolution directs the president “to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said the vote “plays right into the hands of the enemy.” At a news conference Wednesday, Johnson argued the Iran operation has been “necessary, lawful and effective, and reversing it now would weaken America.”
“Congress has a constitutional right to exercise its oversight authority, and we will, but we also have a duty and obligation not to undercut our own national security,” he said.
Massie speculated that his colleagues don’t want a recorded vote on the issue because the U.S. has “a terrible track record of meddling in the Middle East.”
“They don’t want their name associated with this when it doesn’t turn out well,” Massie said during floor debate. “But Congress cannot be bothered with its constitutional duty because for many in this chamber, it’s easier to simply allow someone else’s sons and daughters to be sent to combat without their vote. And to be clear, we aren’t even here to declare war today.”
The Constitution grants only Congress the power to declare war. But presidents have undergone campaigns to avoid getting Congress’ authorization in recent years. And Republicans in Congress have so far shown little appetite in flexing their power to limit the president’s authority to conduct the strikes, though some have indicated that could change if the conflict lasts for more than a few weeks, or if Mr. Trump sends U.S. ground troops into Iran.
The vote is likely to scramble partisan lines.
At least one other Republican said he would break with Mr. Trump and several Democrats have indicated they could vote against the resolution.
Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio announced his support for the resolution Wednesday on the House floor, saying “the moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat.”
“Unfortunately, Republicans now want to claim they can’t answer: What is a war?” Davidson said.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who supported a recent Venezuela war powers resolution, said he plans to stick with Mr. Trump on this vote. But Bacon noted the military operation could last for weeks or longer and members could “always revise our opinions” as time goes on.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, said she’s open to changing her mind down the road if the war lasts longer than estimated or there’s ground troops.
“If this thing goes beyond a few weeks, I’m going to have a lot more concerns,” she said. “If ground troops get involved, I think that’s a very different conversation.”
Democrats, however, say the Trump administration has not provided sufficient answers on the rationale for attacking Iran or the imminence of the threat.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, predicted that “there is going to be very strong Democratic support for the war powers resolution across the ideological spectrum.”
But several Democrats have signaled they could break with their party. In a statement last month, Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said he opposed the resolution because it “would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks, signaling weakness at a dangerous moment.”
Gottheimer and a handful of other Democrats are backing a separate resolution that directs the president to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran within 30 days of the Feb. 28 attack without congressional approval.
The lawmakers are aiming to block further military action without authorization under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which Congress passed in response to the Vietnam War as a check on the president’s power to enter armed conflict without consent from the legislative branch. It requires the president to consult with Congress in “every possible instance” ahead of the introduction of any military forces. And it also requires the president to report to Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces if lawmakers haven’t authorized a declaration of war, while capping any unauthorized engagement at 60 days.
Jeffries has emphasized lawmakers’ authority. He said Wednesday “there is nothing ambiguous” about Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war.
“The president’s war — it’s unwise, it’s unpopular, unauthorized, unlawful and unconstitutional. And in the United States, we serve the rule of law, not the rule of man,” Jeffries said during floor debate. “Our Constitution requires the president get approval from the Congress before launching a war. That has not happened.”
Johnson argued that the U.S. is “not at war,” and that the offensive is a military operation that is “limited in its scope.” He also warned of the “serious harm” the resolution could impose, saying it would “jeopardize the lives of our troops and all those who are involved in making these great sacrifices to defend us.”
“I believe we have the votes to put this down, and I certainly pray that’s true,” Johnson said.