U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit board M/V Blue Star III, a commercial ship suspected of attempting to transit to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, on April 28, 2026. U.S. forces released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming the ship’s voyage would not include an Iranian port call. (U.S. Marine Corps)
A House Republican who retired from the Army and more than a dozen House Democrats who served in the military are seeking to place limits on the U.S. war against Iran through two newly introduced bills.
One measure, from Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., would authorize continued military operations in the country through the end of July while barring the use of ground troops except for rescue missions and intelligence collection.
A second bill, co-sponsored by 16 military veterans as well as top Democrats on House national security committees, would prohibit the use of additional funds for the war without congressional backing for the conflict.
The introduction of the two pieces of legislation comes as the conflict enters a third month and follows President Donald Trump’s notification to Congress last week that the 60-day statutory deadline for him to either pull troops from Iran or seek congressional authorization for the conflict did not apply to him.
He has argued that a ceasefire he declared on April 7 had stopped the clock, as well as active hostilities against Iran, though the U.S. Navy continues to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian and American forces have exchanged fire in recent days.
Barrett, a 22-year veteran who deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, said his legislation is an effort to prevent the U.S. from being dragged into “another endless war.”
“The commander in chief has the sole authority to lead our troops in wartime, but I’ve lost too many friends on the battlefield to allow that to happen without Congress exercising its constitutional role to clearly define the mission with safeguards and a deadline,” he said in a statement Thursday.
His authorization bill would give Trump until July 30 to “demolish, degrade or defeat” Iran’s nuclear program, address “imminent threats” to American forces and facilities, enforce the naval blockade and ensure safe passage of U.S. and allied vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
The legislation also provides an additional 30 days “as necessary” to withdraw troops. It prohibits occupying or seizing territory within Iran and bars nation-building, stabilization operations or the establishment of long-term security governance within Iran.
“If we don’t learn from our foreign policy failures of the past, we are bound to repeat them,” Barrett said.
He appeared to reject Trump’s assertion that the use of military force in Iran had concluded, noting that U.S. military operations are ongoing.
The war has cost at least $25 billion, according to the Pentagon.
Democrats said their bill would block the use of taxpayer dollars for further military action against Iran unless Congress approves an authorization for the use of military force or declares war.
The Trump administration is expected to seek supplemental funding to cover the campaign, which could reportedly cost up to $200 billion, in the coming weeks.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, and other Democratic lawmakers said it was time for Congress to exercise its constitutional power of the purse.
“Donald Trump believes he can continue to wage an unconstitutional war at the expense of American taxpayers, but at the end of the day Congress still holds the purse strings and will be the final authority on our long-term military action overseas,” said Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Pat Ryan of New York, a former Army intelligence officer who served in the Iraq War, said “not a single dollar more” should be spent on the “ill-conceived war” in Iran.
The effort to withhold federal money for the campaign follows multiple unsuccessful attempts by Democrats to force Trump to either remove troops from the conflict or obtain congressional permission for it under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
Those legislative actions have faced stiff Republican opposition, though some Republicans have expressed growing uneasiness with the war as it crossed the 60-day threshold.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said last week that she would soon introduce legislation to authorize continued military action against Iran while requiring the Trump administration to define what the U.S. is trying to achieve in the war and the means of achieving it.
