US House rejects resolution to end Trump's Iran operations

The United States House of Representatives has rejected an attempt to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war in Iran, marking another setback for Democrats seeking to restore congressional control over military action in the Middle East.

The vote took place on Thursday after Democrats forced the measure onto the House floor. It comes amid growing unease on Capitol Hill over the six-week conflict, with lawmakers expressing concern about rising costs, a lack of clear endgame strategy and the risk of wider escalation.

The resolution would have required Donald Trump to end US military operations against Tehran unless Congress explicitly authorised them. It invoked the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits a president’s ability to sustain prolonged hostilities without legislative approval.

The vote was largely along party lines, although one Republican backed the measure and another abstained. One Democrat also voted against it. Democrats argue that Donald Trump initiated the conflict jointly with Israel on 28 February without congressional authorisation, which they say is required under the United States Constitution, where war powers rest with Congress.

Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said before the vote: “We are standing at the edge of a cliff, and Congress must act before this president pushes us off. Every day we delay, we inch closer to a conflict with no exit ramp.”

The defeat came despite a narrower margin compared with a similar failed House vote in March, when the resolution lost by seven votes. However, Republican support again proved insufficient.

Donald Trump continues to enjoy broad backing from his party, despite frustration among some lawmakers over the administration’s refusal to disclose the financial and military costs of the war. During congressional hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, White House budget director Russ Vought declined to provide an estimate of the taxpayer cost and did not confirm a figure cited by Senate Budget Committee ranking Democrat Jeff Merkley of around $50 billion so far.

Democrats say repeated war powers votes remain important because they force lawmakers to formally record their positions. The House vote came one day after the Senate also rejected a similar war powers measure, although Democratic leaders in both chambers have pledged to continue reintroducing the proposals.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said, "The reality is this war is costing the American people, taxpayers, billions of dollars a day, at the same time when Republicans are ripping healthcare away from the American people.”