House Republicans have cancelled a scheduled vote on a war powers resolution intended to end US involvement in the war with Iran, avoiding political embarrassment for President Donald Trump and highlighting waning congressional support for the conflict.
The cancellation was condemned as “cowardly” by the three top House Democrats, Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar. They said Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had taken the country to war without clear objectives, an exit strategy, public support or congressional authorisation.
The Democrats added that the Republican-controlled House was behaving like a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of the Trump administration, and that the resolution would have passed with bipartisan support. The vote has been postponed until lawmakers return from recess in June, but it appears likely to pass then.
Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who voted for the previous war powers resolution and was attacked by Trump on Wednesday, said: “The next time they bring it, it’s passing.” Among those absent on Thursday but expected to be present in June was Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, a critic of the war who lost his primary this week to a Trump-backed challenger.
The development follows a Senate vote earlier this week in which four Republicans joined Democrats in advancing the war powers resolution, marking the eighth time the chamber had attempted to move the bill forward.
