U.S. Congress Grapples With War Powers After Iran Strikes

In the aftermath of the U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Congress is preparing to confront President Trump over his ability to wage war against Iran without lawmakers' approval. Democrats and a small group of Republicans plan to force a series of symbolic votes in the coming weeks to try to limit the president's war powers and restrain any further military action against Iran.

The moves reflect lawmakers' long-standing concerns about ceding too much authority to the executive branch on matters of war and peace. They also highlight the deep partisan divisions over how to handle the escalating tensions with Iran, with Democrats arguing that Trump has pushed the U.S. to the brink of a disastrous new Middle East conflict without sufficient consultation with Congress.

The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids them from staying for more than 60 days without congressional authorization. But modern presidents of both parties have tended to ignore or work around the law, and Trump has showcased his willingness to use military force unilaterally, from the missile strikes on Syria in 2017 to the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani this month.

Now, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are moving to force a vote on a war powers resolution that would mandate the president to seek explicit congressional approval for any further military action against Iran. The measure is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House, though its fate is less certain in the Republican-led Senate.

A handful of Republican senators, including Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky, have also signed on to the Democratic effort, arguing that the president has overreached in his authority to take the country to war. But the White House and its GOP allies on Capitol Hill are likely to fiercely resist any moves to restrict Trump's war powers, setting up a high-stakes constitutional clash.

Beyond the war powers vote, Democrats are also planning other measures to rein in Trump's Iran policy, including efforts to block funding for military action against Iran and to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force in Iraq, which the administration has cited as justification for the Soleimani strike.

The debates over presidential war powers come at a delicate moment, with tensions between the U.S. and Iran still high following the killing of Soleimani and Iran's retaliatory missile strikes on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. While no U.S. casualties were reported from those attacks, the situation remains volatile, and there are concerns that further confrontation could spiral out of control.

Ultimately, the war powers votes are unlikely to meaningfully constrain Trump's actions, given his track record of disregarding such limits. But they do represent an effort by Congress to reassert its constitutionally mandated role in matters of war and peace - and to try to steer the country away from the prospect of a wider conflict with Iran.