The United States House of Representatives on Thursday voted against a proposal seeking to restrict President **Donald Trump’s authority to continue military action against Iran, amid growing criticism that the administration launched the conflict without congressional approval.
Lawmakers rejected a bipartisan resolution sponsored by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna that would have required the president to obtain authorization from Congress before pursuing further military operations against Tehran.
The proposal failed in a close vote of 212 to 219, coming just a day after the United States Senate dismissed a similar measure. The outcome highlights Congress’s reluctance—particularly among Republican lawmakers—to challenge the White House during the early phase of the conflict.
Even if the resolution had cleared both chambers, Trump could still have vetoed the measure. Overturning such a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, a threshold widely viewed as unlikely in the current political climate.
The vote follows a large-scale military campaign launched less than a week ago by the United States and Israel against Iran. The operation targeted missile installations, naval facilities and other strategic infrastructure.
According to reports, the strikes killed several senior Iranian officials, including the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and sparked retaliatory attacks across the region.
The escalation has also resulted in American casualties. Six US service members were killed after an attack on a US military base in Kuwait, increasing pressure on lawmakers to take a position on a conflict that Congress has not formally approved.
Democratic lawmakers argue that the administration has given inconsistent explanations for the military action and has yet to prove that Iran posed an immediate threat requiring urgent intervention.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticised Republicans for backing the president’s position.
“Republicans had the opportunity to oppose Trump’s war, something that many Americans would have supported,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Instead, they endorsed it, and they now share responsibility for the war with Iran.”
Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973, enacted after the Vietnam War, was designed to prevent presidents from engaging in prolonged military conflicts without legislative approval.
The defeated House resolution relied on that law, directing the president to withdraw US forces from what it described as “unauthorized hostilities” involving Iran unless Congress formally approved the mission.
However, Republican leaders rallied behind Trump, warning that limiting his authority during an ongoing military operation could embolden Iran and endanger American troops.
House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that passing the resolution would weaken the US military effort.
“Adopting a war powers resolution at this moment would be a dangerous move,” Johnson said. “It would strengthen our adversaries and undermine the ability of the commander in chief and our armed forces to complete this critical mission.”
Despite the defeat, Massie insisted that Congress must reclaim its constitutional role in decisions of war.
“The power to initiate war belongs solely to Congress,” he said. “Our service members deserve a clearly defined mission so that once it is accomplished, they can return home.”
