Washington — Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are looking to limit President Trump's ability to order U.S. strikes on Iran amid its ongoing
war with Israel, emphasizing that only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution.
"This is not our war," Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said in a
post on X Tuesday announcing that he had introduced a measure under the 1973 War Powers Resolution to block U.S. strikes. "Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution."
The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, and the extent of the president's authority to wade into conflict abroad without the approval of the legislative branch has been challenged in recent years. In 2020, Mr. Trump
faced criticism for his decision to strike Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani without notifying congressional leaders.
Massie's resolution aims to force the president to seek congressional approval before entering a war with Iran and would terminate the use of U.S. armed forces against Iran without Congress' expressed approval. It's cosponsored by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who urged "every member to go on record" in a
post on X on Monday.
"Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?" Khanna said.