The House voted Wednesday to direct President Donald Trump to end US military hostilities with Iran, delivering the sharpest congressional rebuke yet of a conflict now more than three months old — and one Trump launched without seeking congressional approval.
The resolution passed 215-208, with four Republicans crossing party lines to join a unified Democratic caucus: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Tom Barrett of Michigan, and Warren Davidson of Ohio. It marked the fourth attempt by Democrats to pass such a measure and the first to succeed.
Under the resolution, Trump must withdraw US armed forces from the conflict unless Congress formally declares war or passes a specific authorization for military force against Iran. The White House rejected the measure as an “unconstitutional legislative veto,” insisting hostilities came to a close when Trump ordered a ceasefire on April 7.
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The vote, for the most part, is symbolic. Scholars and lawmakers dispute whether the measure — a concurrent resolution — is binding without a presidential signature. Trump is expected to veto any legislation that reaches his desk limiting his military authority, and neither chamber is close to the two-thirds majority needed to override.
Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to block the vote, abruptly canceling House floor sessions two weeks ago when it appeared the resolution had enough Republican support to pass. The extended recess failed to shift the votes. After Wednesday’s result, Johnson argued the measure would “weaken” Trump’s hand in negotiations with Iran.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the resolution’s lead sponsor, was blunter: “Enough is enough.”
Massie, a longtime critic of executive war powers, framed the vote in kitchen-table terms. “People are tired of this,” he said after the vote. “They’re tired of $5-gallon gas and $6-gallon diesel, and fertilizer we can’t afford to put on our fields in Kentucky.” Fitzpatrick cited the law directly: “There’s a law on the books.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned at a separate House hearing Wednesday that the resolution sent the wrong signal to Tehran. Approving the measure, he said, would lead Iran to believe the administration’s “hands are going to be tied” during negotiations.
Each of the four House war powers attempts has drawn more support than the last. The most recent prior vote ended in a 212-212 tie. Senate Democrats advanced a similar measure through a procedural vote last month with help from a handful of Republicans, though Senate leaders have not yet scheduled a final vote.
If the Senate passes its own version, a final resolution would head to Trump’s desk — where a veto is all but certain.
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