'Not constitutional': Congress evokes new War Powers Resolution to reject Trump's strikes on Iran

Co-sponsors of the War Powers Resolution, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., were speedy to knock President Donald Trump for greenlighting attacks connected 3 atomic sites successful Iran Saturday night. 

"This is not constitutional," Massie said, responding to Trump's Truth Social station announcing the strikes connected Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan successful Iran. 

The bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced successful the House of Representatives this week arsenic strikes betwixt Israel and Iran raged on, and the satellite stood by to spot if Trump would strike. 

Sources acquainted told Fox News Digital that some House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed connected the strikes up of time. 

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President Donald Trump speaks during an code to a associated league of Congress astatine the Capitol successful Washington, D.C., connected March 4, 2025; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) (L) attends the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump successful the Rotunda of the Capitol connected Jan. 20, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (Left: WIN MCNAMEE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images; Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"Trump struck Iran without immoderate authorization of Congress. We request to instantly instrumentality to DC and ballot connected @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to forestall America from being dragged into different endless Middle East war," Khanna said. 

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This week, lawmakers sounded disconnected connected the unconstitutionality of Trump striking Iran without legislature approval. Congress has the sole powerfulness to state warfare nether Article I of the Constitution. 

The War Powers Resolution seeks to "remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities successful the Islamic State of Iran" and directs Trump to "terminate" the deployment of American troops against Iran without an "authorized declaration of warfare oregon circumstantial authorization for usage of subject forces against Iran."

As Trump announced his strikes against Iran – without legislature support – Khanna said representatives should instrumentality to Capitol Hill to forestall further escalation.

And successful the precocious chamber, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced his ain warfare powers solution up of the bipartisan duo successful the House. While the solution had been gaining steam with his colleagues, momentum could beryllium stalled owed to the strikes. His solution is privileged, meaning that lawmakers volition person to see it. The earliest it could beryllium voted connected is Friday.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters portion flying aboard Air Force One en way from Calgary, Canada to Joint Base Andrews, Md., precocious Monday, June 16, 2025.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Kaine argued successful a connection that "the American nationalist is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging warfare connected Iran."

"This is not our war. But if it were, Congress indispensable determine specified matters according to our Constitution," Massie said. 

Massie, whom Trump threatened to superior during the House GOP megabill negotiations, invited "all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution." By Tuesday night, the bipartisan measure had picked up 27 cosponsors, including progressive "Squad" members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

Across the governmental aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her support, writing that Americans privation an affordable outgo of living, harmless communities and prime acquisition "not going into different overseas war."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., leaves the Capitol Hill Club aft a gathering of the House Republican Conference connected Tuesday, March 25, 2025.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"This is not our fight," Greene doubled down connected Saturday night, earlier Trump's Truth Social announcement. 

The bill's archetypal co-sponsors besides see progressive Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who called it unconstitutional for "Trump to spell to warfare without a ballot successful Congress."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump would marque his determination astir whether to weaponry Iran wrong 2 weeks. 

"We person completed our precise palmy onslaught connected the 3 Nuclear sites successful Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are present extracurricular of Iran aerial space. A afloat payload of BOMBS was dropped connected the superior site, Fordow. All planes are safely connected their mode home. Congratulations to our large American Warriors. There is not different subject successful the World that could person done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attraction to this matter," Trump said Saturday night. 

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Israel launched preemptive strikes connected Iran's atomic facilities and subject leaders past week, which the Islamic Republic considered a "declaration of war." Strikes betwixt Israel and Iran person raged connected since, arsenic Trump said helium was considering whether to motion disconnected connected U.S. strikes against Iran. 

The Jewish State targeted Iran's atomic capabilities aft months of failed negotiations successful the portion and heightened interest implicit Iran processing atomic weapons. 

But Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to Geneva, said Iran "will proceed to nutrient the enriched uranium as acold arsenic we request for peaceful purposes," arsenic Israel, and present the U.S., person issued strikes against Iran's atomic capabilities.