US House Votes to Halt Iran War in Bipartisan Rebuke of Trump
WASHINGTON — The United States House of Representatives has passed a war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to halt military operations against Iran, marking the first successful vote of its kind and a rare bipartisan rebuke of the president’s handling of the three-month-old conflict. The resolution passed 215-208 on June 3, with four Republicans joining all voting Democrats, according to AP News.
A Historic Vote
The resolution, designated H.Con.Res.38, invokes Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act, asserting Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war and demanding an end to unauthorized hostilities. The vote came more than 90 days after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28 — well past the 60-day window the War Powers Act grants a president to conduct military operations without congressional approval.
As NPR reported, House Speaker Mike Johnson had abruptly cancelled a scheduled vote on the same resolution two weeks earlier when it became clear the measure had enough Republican support to pass. The extended recess did not shift GOP support, and the resolution ultimately succeeded.
Republican Defectors
The four Republicans who crossed party lines were Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Rep. Tom Barrett of Michigan. Fitzpatrick explained his vote by citing the rule of law, telling reporters: “We’re past the 60 days, so you have two choices. You either follow the law or you change the law. You can’t violate the law. That’s not an option.”
Barrett, an Army veteran, argued that the president’s authority under the War Powers Act had expired. “Congress has the exclusive authority under the Constitution to declare war and authorize the use of force,” he wrote on social media, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Massie, who lost his Kentucky primary last month to a Trump-backed challenger, posted: “The People’s House is sending a message: end this war.”
Democratic Leadership Responds
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, alongside his top deputies, issued a joint statement celebrating the vote. “Following repeated attempts to get sycophants in the Republican-controlled House to join us, House Democrats successfully passed our War Powers Resolution today to stand up for the American people and hold Donald Trump accountable,” they said, according to The Guardian. “It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee who led the effort, declared on the House floor: “Enough is enough. It is time for the president to do the right thing. The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice — suffering at the gas pump, suffering at the supermarkets.”
What Comes Next
The resolution now moves to the Senate, where a similar war powers measure was advanced in May with four Republican senators joining Democrats. A final Senate vote has not yet been scheduled. Even if the Senate passes the resolution, its impact remains uncertain. The White House has questioned the constitutionality of the War Powers Act itself, and Trump is widely expected to veto any binding legislation that reaches his desk.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the resolution would weaken U.S. negotiating leverage, arguing that Iran would believe the administration’s “hands are going to be tied” and therefore see no reason to negotiate.
The Human and Economic Toll
The war has exacted a heavy price. More than 3,400 people have died in Iran, and at least 13 U.S. soldiers have been killed. The Pentagon estimated in May that $29 billion had been spent on the conflict so far, though Harvard analysts project the cost could exceed $1 trillion. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital channel for approximately 20% of the world’s oil — spiking gas prices and adding inflationary pressure on American consumers.
A fragile ceasefire declared on April 8 has been repeatedly violated by all sides, and sporadic hostilities continue. A Marist Institute poll found that 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war, with 61% saying the conflict has done “more harm than good.”
A Constitutional Crossroads
While largely symbolic for now, the House vote establishes a significant precedent for Congress asserting its war powers authority — a rare occurrence in modern U.S. history. If both chambers ultimately pass a war powers resolution, it could set the stage for a fresh legal test of the balance between congressional and presidential authority over matters of war and peace. With the November 2026 midterm elections approaching, the war’s unpopularity and economic fallout are likely to remain central political issues.