Summary
House Republicans called off a vote on a Democratic war powers resolution that would have compelled President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran conflict, delaying the planned House action into June, according to the Associated Press.
The House had scheduled the vote on the resolution, introduced by Democrats to rein in Trump’s military campaign. But GOP leaders declined to hold the vote after it became clear Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, AP reported.
Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the measure, said Democrats had the votes to dismiss the legislation and accused Republicans of staging the delay. “We had the votes without question and they knew it, and as a result they’re playing a political game,” Meeks said, according to AP.
Republicans said the cancellation reflected parliamentary logistics rather than strategy. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters the vote was delayed to give lawmakers who were absent a chance to vote, and House Speaker Mike Johnson did not answer questions from reporters as he left the chamber, AP reported.
On Capitol Hill, the episode highlighted frustration among lawmakers as the Iran war continued and as lawmakers debated whether Trump’s legal authority under the 1973 War Powers Resolution has run its course. AP reported that the disruption of global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been tied by members to higher gas prices in the United States, adding pressure to a mounting congressional dispute.
Democrats said the GOP decision reflected a broader pattern of slipping support for Trump’s handling of the war. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and other caucus leaders said Republicans were “cowardly” to pull the vote, writing that even as lawmakers prepared to recognize fallen heroes on Memorial Day, House Republicans refused to show up and be accountable to service members they said had been “recklessly put in harm’s way.”
AP also reported that the war powers fight has focused attention on the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day requirement: presidents have 60 days to engage in a military conflict before Congress must declare war or authorize the use of military force. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said, “We’re past 60 days so it’s got to be brought to us to vote on. We’re following the law,” and said he planned to vote for the war powers resolution.
In the Senate, AP reported, Republicans were working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution that advanced earlier this week to a final vote. The earlier measure moved forward after four GOP senators supported it and three others were absent, AP said, prompting GOP efforts to tighten support before any further action.
The broader dispute includes arguments from the White House that the War Powers Resolution no longer applies because of a ceasefire with Iran. AP reported that Trump has also said he was previously close to ordering another strike but held off as Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war, and Trump has posted on social media that military leaders should be “prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice,” if an acceptable deal was not reached.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has voted against the war powers resolutions so far, told reporters he was frustrated with the Trump administration’s stance, including what he said showed “incompetent” conduct by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “The current status quo, Pete Hegseth demonstrates how incompetent he is,” Tillis said, according to AP, adding that he would be willing to vote for an authorization for use of military force.
Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said the war had amounted to a strategic mistake for Trump and cited Iran’s willingness to restrict commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “Trump started a war, and he’s made things worse than before,” Duckworth said, AP reported.
House Republican leaders framed Trump’s approach as a direct confrontation with Iran, a long-standing U.S. adversary, while other lawmakers argued that the legal authority claimed by the president should be tested through congressional votes. Republicans and Democrats also differed on the constitutional question of whether the War Powers Resolution applies, with AP reporting that Trump has argued the 1973 law is unconstitutional.
In practical terms, AP said the legislation before the House is a concurrent resolution that lawmakers said would take effect without Trump’s signature if it passed both chambers of Congress, pointing toward a potential legal showdown over who has final authority in future military conflicts.