The House voted 215-208 on Wednesday to approve a War Powers Resolution calling on President Donald Trump to end U.S. military action against Iran, with four Republicans joining Democrats in the first successful House vote to curb the president’s Iran campaign since the conflict began in late February.
The House on Wednesday approved a measure under the 1973 War Powers Resolution that would direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities in or against Iran unless Congress authorizes the action. The resolution passed 215-208, with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Warren Davidson of Ohio voting with Democrats, according to vote breakdowns reported by Axios and The Associated Press. Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the administration’s actions and argued the United States is not formally at war, while Democrats backing the resolution framed it as an effort to reassert Congress’ constitutional role in war-making. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on the House floor that Americans are “tired of suffering” from the conflict’s domestic effects, including higher costs. Supporters of the measure have pointed to the War Powers Resolution’s time limits for unauthorized hostilities. In a May 14 statement explaining his support for an earlier House vote, Fitzpatrick said the law requires conflicts exceeding 60 days to be brought to Congress. The resolution’s path forward is uncertain. Even after House passage, it would still require action in the Senate, and Trump has signaled broad resistance to congressional limits on his commander-in-chief authority. In a separate letter reported by the AP, the White House argued that the “hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” a position that lawmakers and legal analysts have disputed as U.S. forces remain active in the region. The House vote marked a rare, high-profile rebuke of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, which news reports have described as stretching roughly three months since the late-February start date cited by the administration.
