WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress defended President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran and vowed to beat back a Democratic push for a War Powers Resolution vote this week. Democrats said a closed-door briefing Monday did little to justify what they warn could become a weeks-long campaign without lawmakers’ approval, March 3, 2026.
The debate comes as the U.S.-Israeli military operation expands and U.S. casualties mount. The Pentagon’s Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes, Reuters reported. By Monday evening, six U.S. service members had been killed in the conflict, according to administration and military briefings described by lawmakers.
Senior administration officials — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine — briefed congressional leaders Monday, as Republicans argued the commander in chief acted within his authority, according to Reuters.
Before the classified session, Rubio told reporters there was an imminent threat because the United States knew Israel planned to attack Iran and expected Iran to retaliate by targeting U.S. forces, lawmakers said. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the operation was “limited in scope” and “absolutely necessary for our defense,” while predicting it would end quickly.
Democrats countered that the administration’s public rationale has shifted in recent days and that lawmakers still have not been shown evidence that U.S. forces faced an immediate threat requiring unilateral action. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he supports Israel but added, “I still don’t think that standard has been met” when it comes to proving an imminent threat to American interests.
War Powers Resolution vote looms in House and Senate
Democrats and a small group of Republicans are now pressing to force roll-call votes that would limit or halt U.S. hostilities absent explicit congressional authorization. The effort is being framed as a rare test of the Constitution’s separation of powers and a direct challenge to Trump’s approach to Iran, as described in an Associated Press report on the brewing war powers fight.
In the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is leading a measure introduced with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., aimed at requiring the president to end hostilities against Iran unless Congress declares war or passes a specific authorization. Kaine called the strikes “dangerous, unnecessary and idiotic action,” and a procedural vote could come as soon as Tuesday, Roll Call reported.
In the House, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are pushing a companion measure and have demanded a public vote. Massie has criticized the campaign as a break from Trump’s own rhetoric, saying: “This is not ‘America First.’”
Even supporters concede the votes may be more politically consequential than legally decisive. Kaine’s approach relies on expedited procedures under the War Powers law, but Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers and could still block or table the measures. And if any resolution clearing Congress reached Trump’s desk, he could veto it, leaving lawmakers short of the two-thirds votes needed to override.
What the War Powers Resolution requires
The War Powers Resolution — enacted in 1973 to check presidential war-making — sets consultation and reporting requirements when U.S. forces are introduced into hostilities and establishes timelines for withdrawing forces if Congress has not authorized the action. The statute is codified in the U.S. Code under Chapter 33.
In practice, the law has often been used as a tool to force debates and votes even when presidents argue it is unconstitutional or inapplicable. Kaine’s strategy in the Senate, for example, is designed to trigger privileged floor consideration — meaning leadership has less ability to keep the issue off the floor indefinitely.
Republican leaders argue Trump is acting within his commander in chief authority, particularly given the administration’s claim that Israel would have acted regardless and that U.S. forces in the region faced a credible threat of retaliation. Democrats respond that those arguments amount to an end-run around Congress’ power to declare war, especially as Trump has indicated the campaign could extend for weeks.
Past war powers fights add context to today’s showdown
Congress has tried repeatedly — and often unsuccessfully — to use war powers votes to constrain modern presidents of both parties. A notable recent flashpoint came in 2019, when lawmakers invoked War Powers procedures to try to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen; Trump vetoed that measure, and legal experts warned the episode previewed more intense clashes to come, as detailed in a Brookings analysis published after the veto.
The Iran debate also has a direct precedent from Trump’s first term. After the January 2020 strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Congress approved a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting further military action against Iran, Al Jazeera reported at the time.
But that effort ultimately stalled when the Senate failed to override Trump’s veto, with supporters falling short of the two-thirds threshold required to make the restriction law, Reuters reported in May 2020. The episode is now being cited by both parties as evidence of what is — and is not — achievable this week.
For now, lawmakers in both parties say they want more detail about the strategy, objectives and end state in Iran. Additional briefings for the full House and Senate are expected Tuesday, ahead of votes later in the week that will put members on the record about whether Trump should have to seek congressional authorization to continue the campaign.
