The House of Representatives postponed a scheduled vote on a war powers resolution that would have compelled President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, as reported by The New York Times. According to the report, Republican leaders lost control of the floor during an earlier unrelated vote, with several members defecting and several more absent. As the House chamber descended into chaos, leaders postponed the Iran war measure to avoid another public defeat on a far more politically consequential vote. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who last week sided with Democrats in favor of a similar resolution, told reporters "I don't think they're going to have the votes when we get back." The decision marked a striking setback that exposed fractures within the GOP over the conflict at a moment when the party has begun pushing back forcefully on Trump and his agenda.
The actions by congressional leaders demonstrated the increasing difficulty of maintaining political backing for Trump's handling of the war, as reported by The New York Times. Rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict, with the latest vote marking the fourth time Democrats have sought to challenge Trump's ability to wage war without congressional approval since he initiated the current conflict in late February. Rep. Fitzpatrick had planned to vote in favor again on Thursday, stating "It was the fourth time Democrats had sought to challenge Mr. Trump's ability to wage war without congressional approval since he initiated the current conflict in late February." The lone Democrat who voted against the war powers resolution last week, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, had indicated he would vote in favor of the legislation this time, with the move indicating an increasing willingness by some members of the president's party to pressure him to end a conflict that a majority of Americans say is not worth the costs.
Republicans have been broadly supportive of Trump's efforts to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, but some are now questioning the president's legal authority to wage war without congressional approval, according to The New York Times. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, presidents have 60 days to engage in a military conflict before Congress must either declare war or authorize the use of military force. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, voted for an Iran war powers resolution for the first time last week, stating "We're past 60 days so it's got to be brought to us to vote on. We're following the law." However, Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has so far voted against the war powers resolutions, expressed frustration with the Trump administration's stance, especially from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying "The current status quo, Pete Hegseth demonstrates how incompetent he is."
The war has created significant economic and strategic challenges, as reported by Business Standard. The stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global shipping and elevated gas prices in the US, with the nationwide average price of gasoline rising to USD 4.53. Democratic senators rallied outside the Capitol Wednesday alongside VoteVets, a veterans' advocacy group, highlighting these economic impacts by placing signs on the Capitol lawn noting the gas price increase. Sen. Tammy Duckworth argued that the Iran war has amounted to a strategic blunder for Trump, pointing to Iran's new leadership and the country's willingness to put a chokehold on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Republican leaders praised Trump for taking what they said was bold action to directly confront Iran, a nation that has been a U.S. adversary for decades, with Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, saying "I'm an American. I don't believe in getting hit and walking away and pretending as though it didn't happen."
For Congress, the growing momentum to pass a war powers resolution could eventually lead to a legal showdown over who has final authority over military conflicts, according to Business Standard. 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. However, Trump has argued that the 1973 law is unconstitutional, potentially setting up a constitutional challenge to congressional war powers authority. The White House argues that the requirements of the War Powers Resolution no longer apply because of the ceasefire with Iran, while Trump has said he was just an hour away from ordering another strike on Iran earlier this week but held off because Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war. The weeklong recess in observance of Memorial Day means Democrats will have to wait until Congress returns in June to continue their efforts.
