The House votes Wednesday on a war powers resolution to halt U.S. military action against Iran — and Speaker Mike Johnson may not have the votes to stop it.
A handful of Republicans signal they’re ready to join Democrats in ending the three-month war that has cost American taxpayers over $100 billion and sent gas prices soaring.
“This reckless and costly war of choice needs to end today.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Democrats need just a few GOP votes to kill the war — and mounting frustration suggests they may get them.
Johnson tried to prevent this moment two weeks ago, abruptly shutting down floor action when the resolution was on the verge of approval. But opposition has only grown as Trump struggles to negotiate a quick resolution.
It’s the fourth time the House has tried to curb the Iran war. The Senate advanced its own war powers resolution last month when four GOP senators broke ranks with the Republican president.
Each vote has drawn more support as political unease swells.
Trump campaigned on ending U.S. entanglements abroad and focusing on domestic issues — but the Iran war has shifted attention back to the Middle East just as midterm elections loom.
Johnson insisted Trump remains “laser focused” on the domestic front. The speaker said he spent three hours at the White House this week as Trump calls on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commerce.
Since the U.S. joined Israel in launching Feb. 28 strikes on Iran, gasoline prices have jumped, adding to inflationary pressure. Iran has been able to interrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital channel for a large segment of the world’s oil, natural gas, and fertilizer.
“The entire world has an interest in the Strait of Hormuz being reopened for commerce. That’s what he’s working on.”
A ceasefire was declared in April, but it remains uneasy. Talks for a durable end have dragged, complicated by Israel’s broadening war with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Military strikes between the U.S. and Iran continue to flare.
The war powers resolution would not immediately stop the war, but it would provide a symbolic — if not legal — step against further military action.
If approved, it goes to the Senate, where four Republicans last month joined Democrats in advancing a similar measure. The Senate has yet to take a final vote.
The House also votes Wednesday on a Democrat-led effort to authorize U.S. support for Ukraine’s military operations against Russia and on another war powers resolution to block U.S. action in Lebanon.
Under the war powers act, the White House has a 60-day window to seek approval from Congress for military action. The administration has indicated that because a ceasefire has been declared in Iran, hostilities have ceased.
