Following the recent U.S. military attacks on key Iranian nuclear sites, a bipartisan group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Sunday urged Congress to rein in President Donald Trump’s use of military force and prevent deeper US involvement in the escalating Middle East conflict. Despite strong backing for the strikes from Republican leaders in the Senate and House, the likelihood of a resolution passing both chambers to assert Congress’s power to declare war and restrict Trump’s actions appears slim.
Calls for Congressional Vote on War Powers
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) announced his intention to force a Senate vote this week on a measure that would require President Trump to end hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war. Similarly, Representative Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) are seeking a vote on their analogous legislation in the House.
Kaine, appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” stated, “This is the US jumping into a war of choice at Donald Trump’s urging, without any compelling national security interest for the United States to act in this way, particularly without a debate and vote in Congress.” Massie echoed this sentiment, emphasizing, “There was no imminent threat to the United States. We haven’t been briefed.” Both lawmakers stressed that there was no urgency requiring Trump to act unilaterally.
The White House has not yet responded to these criticisms from lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were reportedly notified of the military action beforehand, and members of Congress are expected to receive a briefing on Tuesday. Thune’s office, however, declined to comment on Kaine’s proposed measure.
Division within the MAGA Movement and Republican Responses
The attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday have caused a rift within Trump’s populist MAGA movement. While some leaders rallied behind the President, others called for an end to hostilities, citing the previous “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Massie, a self-proclaimed member of the coalition that elected Trump, expressed weariness of “endless wars” and highlighted promises of prioritizing domestic issues.
President Trump, however, publicly criticized Massie on Truth Social, vowing to support his primary challenger in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump asserted that Massie’s stance on the Iran attack and opposition to his legislative efforts proved he was not aligned with the party’s new base, calling him a “lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politician.”
Another prominent Trump loyalist, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, also voiced criticism of the decision, though she insisted it was not disloyal. “I can also support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started,” the Georgia Republican posted on X.
Conversely, other Trump allies defended his actions, arguing they were within his constitutional authority. Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump supporter and key voice on foreign policy, stated, “He had all the authority he needs under the Constitution. They are wrong.” Graham added that if Congress disapproves of the President’s war actions, they can “cut off the funding.”
Many Republican lawmakers largely applauded the attacks, asserting that the operation successfully hampered Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear weapon. House Speaker Mike Johnson remarked on X that “The President made the right call, and did what he needed to do,” arguing that “The Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act.”
Constitutional Powers and Future Concerns
The U.S. Constitution delineates war powers, designating the President as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces while reserving the sole authority to declare war for Congress. However, in recent decades, this balance has shifted, with Congress frequently deferring military power to presidents of both parties.
Democrats, meanwhile, expressed caution regarding the success of the mission, raising concerns that Iran might have moved nuclear material to other undisclosed locations. Khanna warned on CBS, “The tragedy in this country is that we keep entering these overseas wars. We triumphantly declare the mission is accomplished the day after, and then we’re left with Americans bearing the consequences for decades.”
The debate over the constitutional limits of presidential power in initiating military action without explicit congressional approval continues to intensify as tensions in the Middle East deepen.
