While Republicans largely back President Donald Trump, Democrats denounce his “major combat operation” as an undeclared war
US President Donald Trump’s choice to unilaterally initiate strikes on Iran has drawn a divided reaction from Congress, with lawmakers mostly split along partisan lines. Congressional Democrats are now moving to halt the campaign using the 1973 War Powers Act.
The assault was launched on Saturday by Washington and West Jerusalem, with Trump explicitly stating the goal was to effect regime change in Iran to remove “imminent threats” to the American public. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reports that the attacks resulted in over 200 fatalities. In response, Tehran executed retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets and US bases throughout the region.
Iran denounced the attack as a flagrant breach of its sovereignty. Both Russia and China labeled it an “unprovoked act of aggression.” While the UK, France, and Germany criticized Iran’s counterattacks on neighboring nations, they refrained from fully endorsing the actions taken by the US and Israel.
‘Decisive action’
Senior Republicans in Congress have rallied behind Trump, praising his move as an essential measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune claimed Iran had spurned diplomatic efforts and asserted that the president was neutralizing “threats” purportedly originating from Tehran.
Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised the move as “decisive action” and one of the “hardest decisions” Trump has made, describing the strikes as “a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that the Trump administration had briefed the “Gang of Eight” – the eight congressional leaders legally required to receive classified intelligence briefings – earlier in the week regarding the strikes, even as discussions with Tehran continued. He insisted that Washington “made every effort” to seek a peaceful resolution, adding that Tehran is now facing “severe consequences for its evil actions.”
‘Another endless and costly war’
Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate chastised Trump for a lack of transparency regarding the operation’s objectives and strategy, warning it could escalate into another endless conflict. They also demanded in the invocation of the 1973 law that restricts the use of military force without congressional consent.
“The American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, arguing that the Trump administration “has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries argued that while Iran “must be aggressively confronted,” the White House “must seek authorization” from Congress for the operation, which he said “constitutes an act of war.”
Senator Jack Reed, a ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, accused Trump of plunging the US “into a major war with Iran,” one with “no endgame” and launched “against the clear wishes of the American people.” He pledged “rigorous oversight” of the operation.
This is not ‘America First’
Democrats are currently pushing for a vote on a resolution designed to withdraw US military forces “from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The resolution was initially introduced by Representative Thomas Massie – one of the few Republican dissenters – last summer during a previous joint bombing campaign by Washington and West Jerusalem against the Islamic Republic.
This resolution relies on the 1973 War Powers Act, which restricts unauthorized military operations to 60 days. The Act also provides a mechanism for Congress to compel presidents to end unauthorized deployments immediately. To override a presidential veto, lawmakers would still require a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna called for the House to return on Monday to vote on the resolution. In his statement, Jeffries affirmed that House Democrats were “committed to compelling a vote” on the matter. Massie posted on X on Saturday to voice his opposition to the strikes and promised to collaborate with Khanna to “force” a vote on the resolution. “This is not ‘America First’,” he posted.
Under Article 1 of the US Constitution, the power to declare war resides with Congress, not the president. Trump justified his decision by asserting the operation’s goal was to safeguard the American people by eliminating “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
Tehran has persistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its program is intended for peaceful purposes, despite increasing uranium enrichment to 60% purity following Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement. Last year, both the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard stated there was no evidence that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon.