The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday failed to pass a measure seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s military powers by a razor-thin vote.
The chamber tied 212–212 on a war powers resolution introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) that would have directed Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress formally authorized the conflict’s continuation. Because the passage required a simple majority, the tie constituted a defeat.
The resolution would have mandated congressional authorization of U.S. involvement in the conflict, which began with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets at the end of February.
Three Republicans broke with their party to vote for the measure—Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), was the only one in his party to vote against it. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who had supported the resolution in March but voted “present” in April, cast a “no” vote Thursday.
Thursday’s vote was the third on an Iran war powers resolution, with each tally becoming increasingly narrower. The first, in March, failed 212–219; the second, in April, failed 213–214.
The House vote came a day after the Senate produced its own record-close result.
On Wednesday, the Senate rejected a companion resolution in a 49–50 vote, the tightest war powers vote yet in the upper chamber.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), gained its strongest Republican support to date: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) all voted in favor. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) was the only Democrat to vote against advancing the bill. The Senate has now rejected Iran war powers resolutions seven consecutive times since the conflict began.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated the administration’s position.
“The War Powers Act is unconstitutional, 100 percent,” Rubio told reporters on May 6, adding that every president since the law’s passage in 1973 has taken the same view.
The White House’s legal argument rests on a May 1 letter Trump sent to Congress declaring that the conflict had ended.
“On April 7, 2026, I ordered a 2-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” the letter stated.
That letter arrived precisely on the 60-day deadline imposed by the 1973 War Powers Resolution—the point at which the law requires the president either to end hostilities or obtain congressional authorization.
The conflict began on Feb. 28 when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran. Called Operation Epic Fury by the United States, it targeted Iranian nuclear sites and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with other senior Iranian officials. Trump formally notified Congress on March 2 that U.S. forces had entered into combat operations, which set off the 60-day statutory clock under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
The 1973 law states that a president “shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces … unless the Congress has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces” within 60 days of notifying Congress of hostilities.
Reuters contributed to this report.
