House Democrats to Force Vote on Iran War Powers

Congressional Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, announced plans to force a vote next week on a bipartisan resolution aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from initiating military action against Iran without congressional approval. The measure, introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna of California and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, invokes the 1973 War Powers Resolution and the Constitution's allocation of war-declaring authority to Congress. The vote is scheduled for when the House reconvenes following a brief recess, marking a significant test of legislative checks on executive power amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The push comes as the Trump administration deploys a substantial U.S. military presence around Iran, including warships and aircraft, the largest such buildup in the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion. Trump has accused Iran of resuming its nuclear weapons program, a claim he highlighted during his recent State of the Union address. He stated that Tehran is developing missiles capable of reaching U.S. interests abroad and potentially the mainland, despite U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities last summer that the president said...