A handful of Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday afternoon to buck President Donald Trump and rein in his powers for the war in Iran. The House passed a War Powers Act resolution, marking a significant bipartisan rebuke to the administration. Under the law, troops must withdraw within 60 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. Additionally, the president is required to inform Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces into action.
Previous Attempts and Political Maneuvering
Previous efforts to limit the president's authority on Iran have largely failed, as they tended to split along party lines. House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly stated that "we're not at war right now" in Iran, even as the White House deployed troops to the region. Johnson insisted that the United States does not have "boots on the ground." Two weeks ago, the House was scheduled to vote on a War Powers Act resolution, but Republicans delayed proceedings by prolonging a vote on a separate bill for a women's history museum, effectively blocking the resolution. This tactic drew fierce criticism from Democrats.
Democratic Outrage and Republican Defections
During the earlier skirmish, Democrats expressed outrage. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) shouted, "You don't have the guts, you don't have the balls." Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) condemned the delay, saying, "These chickenhawk motherf*****s are gonna send us home for Memorial Day weekend, where I'm gonna honor my fellow veterans that I served 27 months in combat with, and they are gonna not even give an up or down vote on continuing this war almost three months in." Over time, some Republicans grew restless. In the previous War Powers Act vote, three Republicans broke with House GOP leadership: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Massie's vocal opposition to the Iran war led to a White House campaign against him, and he lost his primary last month to Ed Gallrein.
Changing Dynamics and Attendance Issues
Republicans may be running out of options to block the resolution. During the last vote, Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) was recovering from eye surgery, and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) was absent. Both are expected to be present on Wednesday. In contrast, Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) has been absent for nearly 90 days, citing undisclosed health issues. He won his primary on Tuesday after receiving Trump's endorsement. Meanwhile, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) is likely to return after advancing to the runoff in Louisiana's Senate primary, a race in which Trump endorsed her. This endorsement could facilitate the War Powers Act resolution's passage in the Senate. Before the Senate recessed two weeks ago, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) voted to allow the resolution to proceed, resulting in a 50-47 "yes" vote.
Potential Further Defections
Trump's decision to endorse an opponent against Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in the gubernatorial primary may push her to vote with Democrats. Mace told The Independent in March that she might support a resolution, stating, "President Trump has done a phenomenal job. So far, he's been excellent, but I am deeply concerned about the Washington war machine, getting their talons into the White House and getting us into a protracted and elongated and endless war with Iran." However, last month she indicated hesitation due to a ceasefire, saying, "I want to give the president room to negotiate. If we were still bombing Iran every day, hundreds, thousands of missiles. I think it's a different story."
