House passes Iran war powers resolution 214-208 in rebuke to Trump

The House passed a Democratic-backed war powers resolution 214-208 Thursday, rebuking President Donald Trump's Iran policy as the conflict's death toll reached 18 US service members and costs topped $37.5 billion.

"This is a vote of conscience that requires us to find the strength to do what is right for the American people and to send the clearest message that Congress is reasserting our authority over war," said Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Washington Democrat who sponsored the resolution.

Four Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting the measure: Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — the same four who backed an identical resolution in June. The Senate is expected to consider a companion resolution Thursday, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer forcing a floor vote. Oil prices spiked as Houthi militants claimed strikes on Red Sea tankers, while the Strait of Hormuz — which handles about 21 percent of global seaborne oil trade — remains largely closed.

The resolution is largely symbolic — it requires congressional approval for military action but faces a veto threat from Trump, who has vowed to continue strikes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators Tuesday the US has spent $37.5 billion on the war since February, when joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran began. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted this month found most Americans believe the war has not been worth fighting.

The vote marks the second time the House has approved a war powers resolution on Iran, reflecting deepening unease among lawmakers in both parties as the conflict enters its sixth month with no clear exit strategy. The same four House Republicans defected in June, while GOP Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana backed a similar measure in the upper chamber.

Cassidy, who later lost his Senate seat after Trump endorsed his primary opponent, told the president in a closed-door luncheon that the war "was supposed to last four weeks, it's lasted four months" and that "our original objectives have not been achieved." The Louisiana Republican changed his vote only after receiving a one-on-one briefing from the White House.

Escalation at Sea and in the Air

Trump escalated his rhetoric Wednesday, warning on Truth Social that any Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger US strikes on "ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran." The warning came as Houthi militants in Yemen — aligned with Iran — said they struck tankers in the Red Sea, sending oil prices higher and reigniting fears of broader supply disruption.

The US has cited attacks on commercial shipping as a breach of the ceasefire agreement both sides reached last month. But the truce has proven fragile: 18 US service members have been killed since the February strikes, and Trump participated in a dignified transfer of four remains at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday.

Political Calculus Ahead of Midterms

The war poses a growing political risk for Republicans facing reelection in November. About two-thirds of Republican voters approve of Trump's handling of Iran, according to the Washington Post/Ipsos poll, but a sizable share — roughly one-third — are not convinced. House Speaker Mike Johnson has aggressively lobbied his members against the war powers measures, arguing the US has ensured Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

"Now we got to wrap it up," Johnson said this week, acknowledging the global pressure to end the conflict.

The last time Congress passed a war powers resolution against a sitting president was in 1973, when lawmakers overrode President Richard Nixon's veto of the War Powers Act. That law has been tested repeatedly — most recently in 2020, when Congress passed a resolution limiting Trump's military action against Iran after the killing of Qassem Soleimani, which Trump also vetoed.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.