Dems defend yes votes on Iran War Powers Resolution, warn of long-running crisis
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The House voted Thursday on the Democrat-led Iran War Powers Resolution, which aims to limit President Donald Trump’s military authority in Tehran, fronting a sharp debate over executive powers and reviving new questions about what level of consultation, if any, presidents should seek from Congress before moving forward with future military strikes.
If passed, the Democrat-led Iran War Powers Resolution would require Trump to end the use of U.S. armed forces against Iran unless “expressly authorized” by Congress. House lawmakers are largely divided along party lines on the issue.
Speaking to Fox News Digital after the House vote, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., defended her support for the new Iran War Powers Resolution. He said that in his opinion, Trump exceeded his authority and violated Article 1 of the Constitution. “This is about our Article I power,” he said.
Jayapal said in a statement that only Congress “has the authority to declare war, and we cannot unilaterally put our troops at risk based on any President’s ‘opinion’.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal urged Democrats to “stand strong” during the federal government shutdown. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The vote comes as tensions rise in the Middle East after the United States attacked Iran days earlier, and as some Democrats accuse the Trump administration of racing to involve the United States in another long-running conflict in the Middle East without consulting Congress.
Republicans, meanwhile, argue that the White House is acting within its authority and in the best interests of the country.
Jayapal told Fox News Digital that he has long been critical of other presidents who did not consult Congress before taking military action; This includes former President Joe Biden ordering US airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria.
“I also spoke against Biden,” Jayapal said about Biden’s 2021 airstrike on Syria.
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President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Iran following the Israeli attack in Tehran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (@WhiteHouse/X)
“I’ve spoken out against all the Democratic and Republican presidents who are trying to go to war without authorization, because I don’t think this should be partisan,” he continued, adding: “This is about our Article I power.”
His remarks come as the Democrat-led measure has drawn fierce opposition from nearly all GOP House members and a small group of Democrats in the chamber who have indicated the commander in chief must retain some flexibility to respond to foreign threats and protect U.S. personnel and interests abroad.
They also criticized Democrats who supported the Iran War Powers Resolution for taking a stance that prioritizes military decisions at a sensitive time abroad.
Earlier this week, a group of Democrats called on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to hold the House hearing in D.C. next week, citing the “rapidly evolving” situation in Iran.
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President Donald Trump is seen watching the mission to dismantle three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites at the White House in this 2025 photo. (Daniel Torok/White House via Getty Images)
Supporters argue that restricting a president’s authority (and doing so in the midst of an unstable national security situation) could embolden foreign adversaries and weaken the United States’ ability to respond.
Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing back against Trump’s World War II campaign. He continued to express concerns that he had failed to establish an “imminent” threat that would justify unilateral military action within the scope of his article powers.
The vote underscores a broader, long-running, bipartisan debate over the scope of executive war powers and Congress’s role in authorizing the use of force; it is a tension that spans many administrations and conflicts.
Jayapal, however, seemed unimpressed by the GOP’s backtrack.
He stated that in his view, US action in Iran could be long-lasting and possibly have “much greater consequences” than US intervention in Syria.
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“There are real troops on the ground here in a way that we don’t have in Syria,” Jayapal said. “And I think it’s a much, much, much bigger war that doesn’t have an imminent threat.”
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