Trump doesn’t need Congress to restart Iran strikes: Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump does not need Congressional approval to resume attacks on Iran even though he has exceeded the 60-day limit allowed by federal law.

Hegseth’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday came after the Trump administration exceeded the 60-day deadline required by the 1973 War Powers Resolution to obtain congressional authorization for the use of military force. The administration announced in early May that hostilities with Iran had ended, so it did not seek permission.

But Hegseth said under questioning from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that Trump would have the authority to restart strikes if he deems it necessary.

“If the president decides to restart, we will have all the necessary authority to do so,” Hegseth said.

Murkowski pressed Hegseth further, asking, “Would it help the president to make it clear that Congress is providing an AUMF?” he asked.

“Our view is that he has all the powers he needs under the 2nd Amendment,” Hegseth said, referring to the section of the U.S. Constitution that defines presidential powers. he said.

Hegseth was on Capitol Hill to testify on the administration’s massive budget request of nearly $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027. But the war with Iran loomed large in the hearings, especially at a time when the United States and Iran remain at loggerheads in negotiations to end the conflict and under a shaky ceasefire.

The war, now in its third month, has caused gas prices to rise in the United States and oil Iran will rise globally as it continues to close the Strait of Hormuz, which carried 20 percent of the world’s oil before the Iran war.

Under the War Powers Resolution, Trump must obtain Congressional approval for the use of military force for more than 60 days. The administration argued that the law was unconstitutional and that the president had the authority to carry out military operations under Article 2 of the Constitution.

The President told Congress on May 1, the deadline for congressional authorization, that hostilities had ended.

But Murkowski appeared to express concerns about the administration’s reading of the charter.

“The war powers resolution is pretty clear here; it requires the president to cease hostilities within 60 days without congressional authorization,” he said. “The hostilities do not appear to have ended.”