On Wednesday in the US House of Representatives, for the first time in three months, a group of Republicans joined Democrats to approve a war powers resolution aimed at stopping Washington’s military actions against Iran, opposing President Donald Trump. This move aims to end the three-month conflict reshaping domestic and foreign policy. The House members approved the resolution by 215 to 208 votes. However, the next steps remain uncertain. It is expected that Trump will likely veto any legislation from Congress that limits his commander-in-chief authority. Nevertheless, the vote, in which four Republicans joined Democrats, was a reaction to the president’s war strategy. Applause and cheers rose in the House floor. Gregory Meeks, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the initiative’s leader from New York, said, "Enough is enough." Meeks stated, "It’s time for the president to do the right thing." "The public is tired of suffering because of the war he prefers; tired of suffering at gas stations and markets." "Opposition to the war is growing" This is the House’s fourth attempt to limit the US war against Iran. House Speaker Mike Johnson had abruptly halted floor proceedings two weeks ago when the resolution was close to passing, trying to block a result that would show growing opposition to the war. But as the conflict dragged on and Trump struggled to negotiate a peace plan, discontent grew further. The Senate also advanced its own war powers resolution. A group of Republican senators broke ranks with their party leader Trump in a rare political objection. Each time Democrats brought the war powers resolution to the floor, the vote counts gradually increased as political unrest over the US war grew. Trump had promised during his White House campaign to end US overseas engagements and focus more on domestic issues. But the war refocused attention on the Middle East. Johnson argued on Wednesday that Trump is "fully focused" on the domestic agenda, especially ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. The House Speaker said he spent three hours with the president at the White House this week, and Trump called on allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume trade flows. Since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, Americans have seen gas prices rise at the pump. This has increased inflationary pressure on consumer spending. Iran has been able to disrupt maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz, vital for a significant portion of the world’s oil, natural gas, and related products like fertilizer. Congress is using war powers The War Powers Resolution in the House will not immediately stop the war. But it will provide a symbolic, even legal, step against further military action. The resolution will now go to the Senate. Last month, four Republican senators joined Democrats to advance a similar measure aimed at limiting the US campaign against Iran. The Senate has not yet held a final vote to approve or reject its own war powers resolution. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned during a House Foreign Affairs Committee session on Wednesday that if Congress approves the war powers resolution, Iranians might think the administration’s "hands will be tied." Rubio said they would think, "They can’t do anything to us, so why should we make a deal?" Although Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war, the president also has the authority as commander-in-chief to conduct military actions. This creates a legal debate over which government branch has the final say on war and peace matters. If the Senate also joins the House in approving the resolution, it could open the way for a new legal test regarding war powers. The War Powers Act gives the White House 60 days to seek Congress’s permission to use military force. However, the Trump administration stated that since a ceasefire has been declared in the ongoing Iran war, hostilities have ceased.
