From The Hill: House Republicans on Thursday beat back legislation designed to rein in U.S. military operations in Iran, marking a victory for President Trump and a blow for those hoping to reassert Congress’s unique powers to wage war.
The vote was 212-219, with just two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Warren Davidson (Ohio) — hopping the aisle to support the resolution, while four Democrats broke with their party to oppose it: Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Greg Landsman (Ohio) and Juan Vargas (Calif.).
The vote was largely symbolic, coming one day after the Senate killed a similar resolution along similar partisan lines. And some observers had questioned the Democrats’ strategy of forcing the vote, since failure of the resolution is its own roundabout form of authorization for Trump to continue the strikes.
Rep. Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) had co-sponsored the war powers resolution, which would have forced President Trump to terminate operations in Iran until the administration can win congressional approval.
The effort was rejected by most Republicans, who argued that every other president has had same the authority under the War Powers Act to conduct limited military strikes without a formal approval from Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called Massie and Khanna’s resolution a “dangerous idea” and warned, “It would empower our enemies, it would knee-cap our own forces, and it would take the ability of the U.S. military and the commander in chief away from completing this critical mission to keep everybody safe.”
House defeats the Massie-Khanna Iran war powers resolution to block future U.S. military action against Iran without Congressional approval.
2 Republicans voted Yes: Davidson (OH) & resolution co-author Massie (KY); 4 Democrats voted No: Golden (ME), Cuellar (TX), Landsman (OH)… pic.twitter.com/0jOUx2Ainr
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) March 5, 2026
Massie declared after the vote, “The Iran War Powers Resolution narrowly failed, but we put everyone on record. We’re being told this military action could last months. That’s the exact circumstance in which the Founders intended for Congress to authorize war, but sadly we’ve now abdicated that responsibility.”
The Iran War Powers Resolution narrowly failed, but we put everyone on record.
We’re being told this military action could last months. That’s the exact circumstance in which the Founders intended for Congress to authorize war, but sadly we’ve now abdicated that responsibility. pic.twitter.com/lE8HOLXUpc
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 5, 2026
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