House GOP Beats Another Dem Attempt To Block Trump Over Iran
House Republicans narrowly defeated another Democratic-backed effort Thursday to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations involving Iran without additional congressional approval.
The war powers resolution failed after the House deadlocked in a 212-212 tie vote, marking the third unsuccessful attempt by Democrats and a small group of Republicans to restrict the administration’s handling of the conflict.
Under House rules, a tie vote means the measure fails.
Three Republicans broke with GOP leadership and voted in favor of the resolution:
- Thomas Massie
- Brian Fitzpatrick
- Tom Barrett
Meanwhile, Democrat Jared Golden sided against his party and voted to block the measure.
The result handed another victory to President Trump and congressional Republicans who argue that limiting military operations against Iran could embolden the Islamic regime and weaken U.S. national security.
Supporters of the administration have consistently warned that prematurely ending military pressure on Tehran would threaten both the United States and key Western allies, including Israel.
Democrats and anti-war Republicans, however, continue arguing that Congress — not the president alone — holds constitutional authority over prolonged military engagements overseas.
The latest push is being heavily backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose members hope repeated votes will keep political pressure on Republicans and force public debate over the war.
Progressive lawmakers believe the continued conflict could become politically damaging ahead of future elections.
Golden, a former Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said he opposed Thursday’s resolution only because the legislation included an outdated withdrawal deadline.
“I supported this resolution when it was introduced, but unfortunately its proposed 30-day deadline lacks any real meaning now that we are more than 70 days into this conflict,” Golden said.
“It no longer passes the straight-face test. I look forward to voting for a clean, relevant resolution as soon as possible,” he added.
The measure was introduced by Josh Gottheimer, one of Congress’s strongest Democratic supporters of Israel.
Gottheimer initially resisted efforts to limit President Trump’s authority after the conflict with Iran began, citing concerns about threats posed by Tehran.
But by the time the measure reached the House floor, Gottheimer argued the administration had failed to clearly explain both the purpose of the war and a long-term strategy for ending it.
The resolution invoked the War Powers Resolution, the 1973 law requiring presidents to obtain congressional authorization within 60 days of entering sustained military conflict.
Gottheimer’s proposal would have shortened that deadline to 30 days.
A similar Democratic-backed measure also failed Wednesday in the Senate, marking the seventh time Senate Republicans aligned with President Trump successfully blocked war powers resolutions tied to Iran.
Still, several Republican senators crossed party lines during the Senate vote, including:
- Lisa Murkowski
- Susan Collins
- Rand Paul
The broader constitutional debate surrounding the War Powers Resolution has existed for decades.
Virtually every president since the law’s passage in 1973 has argued that portions of the statute improperly infringe on the executive branch’s authority as commander-in-chief.
Despite those concerns, the law has never been definitively resolved through a major Supreme Court ruling.
Even if Congress were eventually able to pass a war powers resolution limiting the Iran conflict, President Trump would almost certainly veto the measure.
At present, neither chamber appears to have enough votes to override a presidential veto, leaving the administration’s military strategy largely intact for the foreseeable future.