The House voted Wednesday to force President Donald Trump to end the war on Iran, increasing pressure on the administration to end an increasingly unpopular war that was not authorized by Congress.
The vote was the first successful passage of a war powers measure in either chamber since the conflict began more than three months ago. Four Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania—joined Democrats in support, making the final tally of votes 215-208.
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“Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice has cost everyday Americans hundreds, if not thousands of dollars,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters on Tuesday. “This war—this reckless and costly war of choice—needs to end today.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the resolution, arguing that its passage would harm the administration’s ability to conduct ongoing negotiations with Iran. “They think that if this thing passes, that means the president will not be able to come after us, so he no longer has any leverage,” Rubio said.
The resolution is designated as “concurrent,” meaning it expresses the sentiments of Congress but does not need a presidential signature and, even if approved by the Senate, does not carry the force of law.
