Three House Republicans voted with Democrats to curtail President Donald Trump’s ability to continue the war against Iran, but the measure to rein in the conflict failed. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Three House Republicans voted with Democrats to curtail President Donald Trump’s ability to continue the war against Iran, but the measure to rein in the conflict failed for a third time on Thursday.
The House measure introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., failed with a vote of 212-212.
Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky; Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania; and Tom Barrett, of Michigan, supported the effort.
Rep. Jared Golden, of Maine, was the only Democrat to vote against it. Republican Warren Davidson, of Ohio, voted against it after voting present on the resolution in April. Davidson, a former Army Ranger, supported the resolution in March, which would have removed troops from unauthorized hostilities against Iran.
The vote comes a day after three Senate Republicans voted with Democrats to curb the president’s ability to wage war against Iran.
The latest efforts came more than a week after Trump notified Congress that hostilities with Iran had ended and asserted that the ceasefire had stopped the clock on a 60-day statutory deadline to obtain congressional authorization to continue the war.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a hearing on Tuesday that Trump had “all the authorities” he needed to restart a bombing campaign, implying the president will not seek a formal authorization for use of military force from Congress.
The federal law allows the president to deploy American forces into hostilities without congressional authorization for up to 60 days. After that, the president must end the operation unless he secures approval for the continued use of military force from Congress or requests a 30-day extension.
The clock began on March 2, the day Trump formally notified Congress of the campaign, and hit the 60-day limit on May 1.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said that every military objective in the war against Iran has been met during an appearance before Congress on Thursday. He said the mission has now shifted to enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The U.S. military announced a plan to escort commercial ships through the strait this month but halted the effort after a few days. Cooper said the 50,000 troops deployed to the region are focusing on preventing trade into and out of Iran as well as preparing for a broad range of contingencies.
Since the war began, 13 American personnel have died and at least 405 have been wounded, according to Defense Manpower Data Center figures.
