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House votes a third time to curb Trump’s Iran war powers

Washington, District of ColumbiaPublished 17 Sep 2026

The west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Noclip / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · source

Seven Republicans joined Democrats to pass a 220-204 war powers resolution directing Trump to end hostilities in Iran unless Congress authorizes them.

The House on Sept. 15, 2026, passed a war powers resolution 220-204 directing President Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes the war. Seven Republicans voted yes, three of them for the first time. The concurrent resolution is the third House passage this year and does not go to the president’s desk.

Shared facts

The House passed an Iran war powers resolution 220-204 on Tuesday.

Seven House Republicans voted for the resolution.

It was the third time the House has passed an Iran war powers resolution this year.

Nancy Mace, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Zach Nunn voted yes for the first time.

Tom Barrett, Brian Fitzpatrick, Warren Davidson, and Thomas Massie had supported prior House resolutions.

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts introduced the resolution.

The resolution directs the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes them.

None of the Iran war powers resolutions have gone to the president’s desk.

The measure is a concurrent resolution that does not carry the force of law.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the war had cost about $38 billion through early August.

The CBO said continued fighting could cost about $2 billion to $3 billion a month.

The war began on February 28.

Rep. Zach Nunn said he will not support another open-ended war.

Nunn said sustained combat operations now require congressional authorization.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said the president needs to present a plan for how the war ends.

Rep. Tom Barrett said only Congress has the authority to authorize military action in Iran.

Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Senate approved a war powers resolution in June, then reversed course after Trump berated senators.

The House passed a similar war powers resolution in July.

The House first passed an Iran war powers resolution in June.

The White House has argued that concurrent war powers resolutions lack legal validity.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 generally allows hostilities for 60 days without congressional authorization.

Trump initially said the war would last a few weeks.

Trump has indicated he opposes the war powers legislation, so it would likely face a veto if it reached his desk.

CBS News

House votes to limit Trump's power to strike Iran for 3rd time, as 7 Republicans defect

Caitlin Yilek

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

The Pentagon has said Operation Epic Fury ended in May.

Trump predicted last week the war will end immediately after the election.

The U.S. and Iran have continued to exchange fire for months.

Republicans are trying to provide up to $73 billion in new war funding through reconciliation.

A ceasefire intended to end the war fell apart in July.

Gregory Meeks said the administration has yet to show seven months of war produced a lasting strategic resolution.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

Al Jazeera

US House votes to end Iran war, 7 Republicans join in favour

Al Jazeera Staff and AP

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

Brian Mast questioned which military resources Democrats would want to remove from a region where he said Iran remains a threat.

A CBO report found the U.S. war on Iran is worsening inflation and straining munitions stockpiles.

Mast said Trump is against forever wars and that is what he is ending.

Lawmakers are heading home at the end of the week to campaign, with fewer than 50 days before the elections.

Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to an AP-NORC poll in July.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

Fox News

7 Republicans rebel against Trump, vote with Dems to rein in Iran war powers

Elizabeth Elkind

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

All 213 voting Democrats backed the measure.

Opponents included 203 House Republicans.

Marlin Stutzman said the president has done a good job managing all this.

Democrats have accused Trump of getting into another forever war.

Opinion

Stutzman said lawmakers need to stand with the president and the Iranian people.

Stutzman said the president has done what he promised by not letting Iran have a nuclear weapon.

The Guardian

More Republicans are turning on Iran war as midterms come into view

Chris Stein

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

Trump has ignored the sole war powers resolution that made it through both the House and Senate.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Americans do not want another forever war.

Two Iowans were among U.S. soldiers killed by Iranian attacks as the war began.

Miller-Meeks won her race two years ago by fewer than 800 votes.

Iowa farmers are struggling with higher prices for diesel, gasoline, and fertilizer.

House Republican leaders canceled Thursday votes and sent lawmakers home early.

Massie lost his primary to Trump-endorsed Republican Ed Gallrein earlier this year.

A New York Times/Siena poll showed likely voters preferred Democrats over Republicans for Congress by nearly nine points.

Democrats believe they can oust Miller-Meeks and Nunn and also win a Senate seat and the Iowa governor’s mansion.

Opinion

The Guardian said the rebellions underscore growing nerves among vulnerable and disobedient lawmakers over continuing the conflict.

The Daily Caller

7 Republicans Go Against Trump, Vote To Rein In War Powers

Nicole Silverio

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

Public approval of the Iran war remains low, with 34% support and 58% opposition, according to the Silver Bulletin.

The average price of regular gas was $4.36 as of Wednesday.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

The Daily Beast

Trump Humiliated by Growing GOP Revolt

The Daily Beast

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

The war has resulted in the deaths of 18 service members.

The Defense Department inspector general found the war had cost more than $33 billion in the first four months.

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent U.S. gas and diesel prices soaring.

Democrats will see Tuesday’s vote as another sign of opposition to Trump’s war with the midterms less than 50 days away.

Seth Moulton of Massachusetts served as a Marine during the Iraq War.

Opinion

The Daily Beast said the GOP is becoming aware of how politically poisonous Trump’s conflict could be on Nov. 3.

Moulton said it was time for Congress to ask tough questions rather than be subservient to another warmongering administration.

Newsweek

List of Republicans who flipped to block military action in Iran

Newsweek

Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 17 Sep 2026

Facts

Barrett's office said he is the only member to introduce an AUMF that would have limited and wound down the conflict.

Massie wrote that this is not our war.

A CBS News/YouGov survey found 56 percent of likely voters would prefer a candidate who opposed Trump’s Iran approach.

Massie’s office said his June 2025 comments remained his position.

In that poll, 93 percent of registered voters said the war was making U.S. oil and gas prices higher.

Newsweek said Democrats intend to package the issue as foreign policy abroad and affordability at home.

Opinion

No opinion marked.