What is the Iran war powers resolution? What to know about new bipartisan bill

As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to get U.S. troops involved.

On June 17, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the “Iran War Powers Resolution,” which would prohibit the president from going to war in the Middle Eastern country without congressional authorization.

“This is not our war,” Massie wrote on X. “Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.”

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, joined Massie in introducing the measure, which is co-sponsored by over a dozen other representatives.

“The American people do not want to be dragged into another disastrous conflict in the Middle East,” Khanna wrote on X. “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan War Powers Resolution with Rep. Massie to reassert that any military action against Iran must be authorized by Congress.”

The resolution states that “Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran.”

It cites the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress the sole power to declare war.

Lawmakers also asserted their power under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which states that the president must notify Congress within two days of deploying troops into a foreign conflict and that they can only remain there for 60 days without congressional approval.

The newly put forward resolution, though, does not prevent the U.S. from “defending itself from imminent attack,” and it stipulates that intelligence-gathering operations should not be disrupted.

The resolution is considered privileged — giving it special priority — meaning it should be brought for a vote in a matter of days, according to CBS News. However, the House is in recess, meaning the vote will occur upon its return.

“It’s time for every member to go on record,” Khanna wrote on X. “Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?”

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, introduced a similar privileged resolution in the Senate on June 16, which will require a prompt vote.

“The American people have no interest in sending servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East,” Kaine, who ran as Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential nominee in 2016, said in a statement. “This resolution will ensure that if we decide to place our nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.”

These legislative actions come days after Israel launched a series of military strikes on Iran, leading Iran to retaliate with its own missile strikes.

Trump has signaled strong support for Israel’s actions, calling for Iran’s unconditional surrender, threatening Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and expressing an openness to further U.S. involvement.

This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 1:03 PM with the headline "What is the Iran war powers resolution? What to know about new bipartisan bill."