This is not the first time Congress has tried to prevent a war with Iran. It won’t be the last, as a critical deadline that tests Republicans approaches.
Iran War in the Age of Memes and Online Battlefields
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House Republicans on April 9 blocked consideration of measures to halt military hostilities in the region as Democrats look for ways to rein in President Donald Trump amid the Iran war.
Congress is still in recess until next week, and the war powers resolution that Democrats had planned to introduce would have needed unanimous support in the Republican-controlled chamber to advance. But Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) refused to endorse Democrats during a brief informal session to push the bill forward.
He loudly halted proceedings in Washington as Democrats protested.
The bill’s chances of success were never high with Republican leaders standing in its way, but it underscored the pressure Democrats on Capitol Hill feel to use every political tool to stop what many of them call a “war of choice.” Despite an uneasy ceasefire and ongoing intermediary negotiations to ease tensions, Iranian authorities continue to control the vital Strait of Hormuz, allowing Iran to take over oil markets and disrupt the global economy.
Republicans have so far blocked Democratic lawmakers who criticized the war from mounting a meaningful pushback. But the move in the House was the first time in recent days that Congress has acted during the two-week holiday scheduled for Easter and Passover to respond to the dire situation in the Middle East after President Trump threatened to destroy “an entire civilization” in Iran.
Although the April 9 bill did not advance, Congressional Democrats signaled to their Republican colleagues that they have no intention of slowing down their efforts to document the conflict. Senate Democrats have vowed to push through another resolution to end the war next week.
Voting will become even more difficult as key deadlines approach. Some prominent Republicans have indicated that they do not intend to continue supporting military operations in Iran beyond the end of April. The War Powers Act requires the president to seek approval from Congress to continue military operations beyond 60 days (with an additional 30 days to safely withdraw troops).
With narrow margins in both houses of Congress, any further rift within the Republican Party over the war could be detrimental to Trump and his party in November’s midterm elections.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
