The Republican-controlled House delivered an unusual blow to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, approving a Democratic measure that would restrict military operations against Iran. The 215-208 vote marked a significant crack in GOP unity, with four Republicans crossing party lines to support the resolution.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, sponsored the resolution, which would direct Trump to withdraw U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress formally declares war or authorizes military force. The measure carries no enforcement power and operates as a symbolic expression of congressional disapproval rather than a binding mandate.
Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, and Warren Davidson of Ohio joined all Democratic lawmakers in backing the measure. Speaker Mike Johnson and the broader GOP leadership had vigorously opposed the resolution, arguing it undermines the president's negotiating position on a potential nuclear deal with Iran.
"This just weakens the president's hands as he's negotiating with Iran," said Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, calling the vote "a stupid political vote."
The path to Wednesday's vote was circuitous. The resolution had been scheduled for a vote before the House recessed for Memorial Day on May 21, but Democrats pulled it from the floor after calculating they lacked the votes to pass it. The House had rejected three similar war powers measures earlier in the year, with the most recent ending in a 212-212 tie. Democrats seized on that near-win as evidence of shifting sentiment against the conflict and predicted eventual passage.
The Senate had already advanced its own version of the resolution last month, though it has not yet held a final vote. The upper chamber's version carries substantially more weight, as it would compel Trump to end hostilities without waiting for congressional approval. That measure, however, would need House approval and faces a certain presidential veto.
In a related procedural victory, the House also voted 218-204 on Wednesday to advance legislation providing military aid to Ukraine. The vote came after supporters gathered the required 218 signatures on a discharge petition, allowing them to bypass Johnson and force a floor vote on Thursday. Former Republican Kevin Kiley, now an independent, joined all Democrats and two Republicans, Fitzpatrick and Nebraska's Don Bacon, in advancing the Ukraine measure.
"This vote is not a process vote," Meeks said of the Ukraine action. "It's a statement on whether this Congress and all of its members stand with and support Ukraine and the people of Ukraine."
Wednesday's Iran resolution sends a signal that congressional patience with the administration's approach may be wearing thin, even among some Republicans. The previous near-miss on the tie vote had suggested the political winds were shifting, and this week's passage confirms it.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The real story here is that four Republicans found their spines on a foreign policy issue where Trump has significant leverage. That's the kind of defection that tends to snowball."
Comments