The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a war powers resolution aimed at reining in President Donald Trump and his actions in the Middle East. The measure seeks to end American military action in Iran unless Congress formally declares war, a step lawmakers say is required by the Constitution and has been under consideration on Capitol Hill for weeks.
The vote crossed party lines in a chamber where such breaks are increasingly rare. Four Republicans joined with Democrats to push the resolution through, giving the effort a measure of bipartisan weight even as the broader party remained divided over how far Congress should go in challenging the president on the use of force abroad.
At the heart of the resolution is the War Powers Act, the law passed in the 1970s that is designed to limit a president's ability to wage war without legislative backing. Under that act, a president is required to halt an armed conflict after 60 days if the action has not been authorized by Congress, a deadline supporters of the resolution say now applies to operations involving Iran.
The Trump administration rejects that interpretation. Officials argue that a ceasefire put in place in April shifted the relevant timeline, and that as a result the War Powers Act does not apply to the current situation. By that reasoning, the administration contends the 60-day clock central to the resolution has not been triggered in the way its backers claim.
Passage in the House is only the first hurdle for the measure. The resolution now moves to the Senate, where it will need to win approval before it can advance any further. The outcome there is far from certain, given the divisions that have marked the debate over war powers and the conflict in the wider region.
Even if the Senate signs off, the resolution would then land on President Trump's desk, where he is expected to veto it. A veto would send the measure back to Congress, where supporters would face the steep challenge of assembling the larger majorities needed to override the president and force the limits into effect.
The vote nonetheless marks a significant moment in the standoff between Congress and the White House over military action in the Middle East. After weeks of looking at the issue, lawmakers from both parties have now put on record their attempt to reassert the legislative branch's role in deciding when and whether the United States goes to war.