A bipartisan group of House lawmakers took action on Saturday to limit President Donald Trump’s power to continue military action against Iran. This came after the United States joined Israel in what Trump described as a “major military operation” against Iran.
Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., announced that they would introduce a War Powers Resolution. This resolution would require the president to end U.S. involvement in any unauthorized actions against Iran unless Congress approves the mission. House Democratic leaders said they planned to push for a vote on this measure when the chamber reconvenes.
“Donald Trump has launched a war on Iran. Congress must come back on Monday to vote on Thomas Massie’s and my war powers resolution to stop this war,” Khanna said in a video posted after the strikes on Saturday.
Massie expressed his opposition to the war, stating that lawmakers from both parties were demanding votes and briefings since the operation began.
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, also expressed his opposition. He mentioned earlier in the week that the administration had not made a strong case for military action, according to CBS News.
This renewed effort in Congress coincided with Trump stating that U.S. forces had started “major combat operations” in Iran and warned that American casualties were possible. Reuters reported that the strikes focused on Iranian missile capabilities and naval assets, following the breakdown of nuclear talks in Geneva earlier this week.
Trump has launched an illegal regime change war in Iran with American lives at risk. Congress must convene on Monday to vote on @RepThomasMassie & my WPR to stop this. Every member of Congress should go on record this weekend on how they will vote. pic.twitter.com/tlRi3Vz849
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) February 28, 2026
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with several top committee leaders, stated on Feb. 26 that they would “demand a vote” on the Khanna-Massie measure as soon as the House reconvenes. They asserted that any decision to use military force against Iran requires consultation and authorization from Congress.
In the Senate, lawmakers also pushed for action from the White House. CBS News reported that Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called for the Senate to return to session to vote on a separate, bipartisan war powers resolution aimed at preventing U.S. forces from engaging in hostilities against Iran without congressional approval.
While the War Powers Resolution process can lead to floor action in the House, its passage is uncertain in a Congress controlled by Republicans. Many Republicans defended the strikes as necessary and urgent. Nevertheless, the division within the GOP, including Massie’s opposition and other dissenting voices, highlighted the tension between Trump’s military actions and the party’s longstanding stance on limiting overseas wars.
The military action marked the start of a new phase in the escalating crisis in the Middle East. The Associated Press reported that Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar following the strikes. Meanwhile, regional governments began to close airspace and enhance security.
Congress is scheduled to return on Monday, and Khanna suggested that lawmakers should be called back to vote and publicly declare their stance on the resolution.
Trump’s strikes on Iran have been described as an illegal war without congressional approval. Israel reportedly struck first in what they described as a preventative attack. In the early hours of Saturday, the US president announced that a “major” operation had begun in Iran and justified his decision in a long video statement.
He also warned that American lives could be lost in the conflict as the war rages on. At the time of writing this report, no American casualties have been reported.
