House to vote on curbing Trump's Iran war powers

The House resolution to rein in Trump's war powers in Iran is expected to fail, after the Senate resolution was voted down Wednesday. Politics House to vote on curbing Trump's Iran war powers By Kaia Hubbard, Kaia Hubbard Politics Reporter Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kaia Hubbard, Caitlin Yilek Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. Read Full Bio Caitlin Yilek March 5, 2026 / 6:00 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — The House is set to vote Thursday on a measure to block President Trump from taking further military action against Iran without congressional support, a day after a similar effort fell short in the Senate. The war powers vote comes amid concerns that the U.S. could be engaged in another lengthy war in the Middle East, and as a CBS News poll shows the majority of Americans disapprove of U.S. military action against Iran. And further, two-thirds say the administration should obtain approval from Congress for further military action. Barring any last-minute surprises, however, the resolution is expected to meet the same fate in the House as it did in the Senate. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has been one of the few Republican critics of the Trump administration's offensives against Venezuela and Iran, introduced the war powers resolution days before the U.S. bombed three of Iran's nuclear facilities last June. He backed away from forcing a vote last year after a ceasefire was reached. The resolution directs the president "to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran." House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said the vote "plays right into the hands of the enemy." At a news conference Wednesday, Johnson argued the Iran operation has been "necessary, lawful and effective, and reversing it now would weaken America."
"Congress has a constitutional right to exercise its oversight authority, and we will, but we also have a duty and obligation not to undercut our own national security," he said.Massie speculated that his colleagues don't want a recorded vote on the issue because the U.S. has "a terrible track record of meddling in the Middle East." "They don't want their name associated with this when it doesn't turn out well," Massie said during floor debate. "But Congress cannot be bothered with its constitutional duty because for many in this chamber, it's easier to simply allow someone else's sons and daughters to be sent to combat without their vote. And to be clear, we aren't even here to declare war today." The Constitution grants only Congress the power to declare war. But presidents have undergone campaigns to avoid getting Congress' authorization in recent years. And Republicans in Congress have so far shown little appetite in flexing their power to limit the president's authority to conduct the strikes, though some have indicated that could change if the conflict lasts for more than a few weeks, or if Mr. Trump sends U.S. ground troops into Iran. The vote is likely to scramble partisan lines. At least one other Republican said he would break with Mr. Trump and several Democrats have indicated they could vote against the resolution. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio announced his support for the resolution Wednesday on the House floor, saying "the moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat." "Unfortunately, Republicans now want to claim they can't answer: What is a war?" Davidson said. GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who supported a recent Venezuela war powers resolution, said he plans to stick with Mr. Trump on this vote. But Bacon noted the military operation could last for weeks or longer and members could "always revise our opinions" as time goes on. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, said she's open to changing her mind down the road if the war lasts longer than estimated or there's ground troops. "If this thing goes beyond a few weeks, I'm going to have a lot more concerns," she said. "If ground troops get involved, I think that's a very different conversation." Democrats, however, say the Trump administration has not provided sufficient answers on the rationale for attacking Iran or the imminence of the threat. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, predicted that "there is going to be very strong Democratic support for the war powers resolution across the ideological spectrum." But several Democrats have signaled they could break with their party. In a statement last month, Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said he opposed the resolution because it "would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks, signaling weakness at a dangerous moment."Gottheimer and a handful of