A rare cross-party effort on Capitol Hill is gaining urgency after President Donald Trump authorized joint military strikes with Israel targeting Iran, prompting lawmakers to demand a formal vote on the use of force.
According to Fox News, plans to challenge the president’s authority were already underway before the operation, but the weekend action accelerated calls for Congress to intervene.
In the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is pressing for an immediate vote on his War Powers Resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
The measure would block U.S. military involvement in hostilities against Iran without congressional approval.
“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” Kaine said. “The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.”
A parallel push is forming in the House, where Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are preparing their own resolution.
Massie made clear he intends to force a vote once lawmakers reconvene. “This is not ‘America First,’” he wrote, adding that the Constitution requires Congress to decide on war. “Your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has indicated support for a vote that would require the president to justify military action before Congress.
The outcome in the House remains uncertain, as some Democrats have backed the administration’s decision to strike Iran. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, signaled he may join the effort unless new classified briefings change his view.
“I have asked for a classified briefing defining the mission in Iran,” Davidson said. “In the absence of new information, I will support the War Powers Resolution in the House next week. War requires congressional authorization.”
In the Senate, the resolution’s path would depend on Republican defections. Earlier this year, a bipartisan coalition briefly formed around a similar effort tied to Venezuela, though several Republicans later reversed their positions after receiving assurances from the administration.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Todd Young said they are awaiting detailed briefings before deciding how to proceed.
“Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives, and risks of any further military action,” Murkowski said.
For now, lawmakers in both parties are pressing for a vote that would force members to go on record over the president’s authority to expand military operations in Iran.
