Congressional leaders on both sides of the political aisle are preparing for a rare war powers fight after President Donald Trump ordered military strikes on Iran without what Democrats describe as required approval from Congress, the Associated Press reported.
Democrats and some Republicans say the next stage is a war powers resolution that would put the issue before lawmakers quickly, with a formal vote serving as a referendum on whether Trump can proceed without authorization. The House and Senate, where Republicans hold slim majorities, had already drafted such resolutions before the weekend strikes, setting up a debate next week, the AP said.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said the strikes were “a colossal mistake,” and he framed the decision through the lens of past U.S. actions in Iran. “Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” Kaine said.
In the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are working together to demand a public vote, according to the AP. Khanna said, “Congress must convene on Monday to vote,” adding, “to stop this,” while Massie criticized Trump’s approach in language tied to the presidential campaign slogan, saying: “This is not ‘America First.’”
Republican leaders, by contrast, welcomed the strikes and argued that military action is warranted in response to threats from Iran, the AP reported. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., praised what he called a historic operation, saying, “Well done, Mr. President,” and telling reporters, “As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare.”
The dispute is also unfolding against the backdrop of constitutional separation of powers, with Democrats warning that the administration’s actions test Congress’s role in authorizing war. The AP said the Constitution gives Congress the power to wage war, while presidents can conduct certain strategic military operations as commander in chief. The AP also noted that before the Iraq War began in March 2003, President George W. Bush pushed for congressional authorization, and that an earlier Senate effort to halt Trump’s actions after last summer’s strike on Iran failed.
Republicans signaled that they expect to keep moving while lawmakers seek more information. The AP said the response from House Speaker Mike Johnson reflected the party’s long-standing views; Johnson said Iran is facing “the severe consequences of its evil actions.” Johnson said House and Senate leaders and the intelligence committee leaders were briefed earlier in the week, and that military action “may become necessary” to protect U.S. troops and citizens in Iran. Johnson also said he received updates from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and would stay in “close contact” with Trump and the Defense Department “as this operation proceeds.”
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune commended Trump “for taking action to thwart these threats,” and said he looked forward to administration officials briefing all senators—an indication that lawmakers are seeking answers about Trump’s plans, the AP reported.
Democrats say the administration has not made a sufficient case for acting without Congress. The AP reported that Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the president has undertaken “illegal, regime-change war against Iran.” Van Hollen, in a social media post, said, “This is not making us safer & only damages the US & our interests,” and added, “The Senate must immediately vote on the War Powers Resolution to stop it.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Iran is a “bad actor and must be aggressively confronted” for human rights abuses and for the threat it poses to the U.S. and allies. But Jeffries said the administration “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war,” according to the AP. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also demanded that Congress be briefed immediately on the administration’s plans, saying, “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home,” the AP reported.