House Passes Iran War Powers Resolution as Senate Final Vote Looms

The House voted 215-208 on Wednesday to direct President Trump to end U.S. military operations against Iran, with four Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Tom Barrett of Michigan, and Warren Davidson of Ohio, breaking ranks to provide the margin of passage. The resolution marks the first time the lower chamber has defied the White House on the Iran conflict. The measure was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The statutory vehicle at issue is Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, 50 U.S.C. § 1544(c), which provides that U.S. forces engaged in unauthorized hostilities "shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution." Republicans who supported the resolution cited the conflict's passage of the statute's 60-day deadline, which the administration has disputed, arguing that a fragile ceasefire in early April paused the clock. Rep. Fitzpatrick, one of the four Republicans, was direct about his reasoning: "We're past the 60 days, so you have two choices. You either follow the law or you change the law. You can't violate the law. That's not an option." The resolution now proceeds to the Senate, but the White House moved quickly to contest its legal weight. The administration characterized H.Con.Res. 86 as a concurrent resolution that carries no force of law, arguing that even Senate passage would have no operative effect. That position tracks the Supreme Court's 1983 ruling in *INS v. Chadha*, which cast legal doubt on the War Powers Resolution's concurrent-resolution withdrawal mechanism by treating it as an unconstitutional legislative veto. Congress addressed that ruling later in 1983 by enacting an alternative statutory mechanism for force removal via joint resolution or bill, but the original concurrent-resolution track was preserved despite its constitutional vulnerability.

Speaker Mike Johnson had previously canceled a scheduled May 21 vote after concluding that Republican absences would cost him the outcome. Wednesday's vote came after three prior House war powers resolutions attracted some Republican support but fell short of passage. A May 14 vote failed in a 212-212 tie after Davidson, who had backed earlier versions, voted against that iteration. Johnson argued on the eve of Wednesday's vote that restricting the president's authority would deprive the administration of leverage in ongoing Iran negotiations. A White House official said on background that the outcome was partly a product of Republican conference absences, citing Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Andy Ogles of Tennessee.

The conflict began Feb. 28 with strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces on Iran. The military operation has been referred to by some senior officials as "Operation Epic Fury." More than 90 days into the conflict, some Republicans have expressed frustration that the war lacks a clear end point. The administration has questioned the constitutionality of the War Powers Act itself, and even if the resolution cleared both chambers, a presidential veto is widely anticipated.

In the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is leading a parallel effort under a separate resolution. The Kaine resolution would direct the president to "remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force." After seven failed prior attempts, the Senate voted 50-47 in mid-May to discharge the resolution from committee, with Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining nearly all Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose. Cassidy's reversal came days after Trump endorsed a challenger who defeated him in Louisiana's Republican Senate primary.

Three Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, were absent for the procedural vote, and their attendance at a final vote could sink the measure. Kaine has acknowledged the math remains tight: "If everybody's here, we need one more vote." Senate Democratic leaders indicated they held off scheduling a final vote this week to allow the House to act first and build legislative momentum. Wednesday's House vote now provides momentum for the Senate resolution, which had advanced procedurally but not yet reached a final floor vote. The Senate version, unlike the House concurrent resolution, would require Trump to end the war without congressional approval, but it would still need to pass the House before reaching the president's desk, where a veto is expected.

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