US Lawmakers Plan Vote to Block Trump from Attacking Iran Without Congress
Reuters reported that US Congress could vote next week on a resolution to block President Donald Trump from striking Iran without congressional approval, as lawmakers debate war powers.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The US Congress could vote as soon as next week on a new resolution aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from launching any military strike against Iran without lawmakers’ approval, according to Reuters.
On Friday, Reuters reported under the headline “US lawmakers plan Iran war powers vote as Trump weighs strikes” that members of Congress are preparing to consider whether to block Trump’s ability to initiate military action against Iran without explicit congressional authorization.
The report stated that the US military is preparing for the possibility of a serious conflict with Iran if diplomatic efforts fail. Reuters previously reported that the military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations should Trump order an attack.
The US Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the authority to send US troops to war, except for limited strikes for national security reasons.
According to Reuters, members of Congress — including several Republicans alongside Democrats — have repeatedly attempted to pass resolutions barring Trump from undertaking military action against foreign governments without lawmakers’ approval, but those efforts have failed.
Trump’s Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and have blocked previous war powers resolutions, arguing that Congress should not restrict the president’s national security powers.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky filed a Senate resolution late last month to block hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war.
“If some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war, and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,” Kaine said in a statement on Friday, as US military assets moved toward Iran.
An aide to Kaine said there was no timetable yet for when the Senate might take up the resolution.
In the House of Representatives, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California said they plan to force a vote next week on a similar resolution.
“Trump officials say there’s a 90 percent chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress,” Khanna said in a post on X.com.
The expected vote comes amid growing debate in Washington over presidential war powers and the role of Congress in authorizing military action.