7 Republicans Go Against Trump, Vote To Rein In War Powers

Seven House Republicans voted for a war powers resolution Tuesday to direct President Donald Trump to end hostilities in Iran.

The resolution passed in a 220 to 204 vote as seven Republicans broke with Trump by calling for an end to the conflict. Republican Reps. Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Zach Nunn of Iowa and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa voted with every Democrat to support the resolution.

Nunn, Fitzpatrick and Barrett are running for re-election in very competitive districts. Public approval of the Iran war remains low, with 34% support and 58% opposition, according to the Silver Bulletin.

“My position hasn’t changed,” Barrett said. “Only Congress has the authority to authorize military action in Iran. I remain ready to work with anyone to eliminate hostile threats to our nation without getting us into another endless war.”

The first five months of the conflict cost over $38 billion, according to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report from Tuesday. Affordability remained the top issue for Americans as gas prices and other costs soared since the war began in February. The average price of regular gas was $4.36 as of Wednesday.

The resolution was concurrent, meaning it expressed the sentiment of Congress and did not have the force of law. A joint resolution would be legally binding and require Trump’s signature to go into effect.

Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton introduced the resolution on April 28.

The House and Senate passed a separate concurrent war powers resolution in June, which also directed Trump to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran “unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a congressional authorization for use of military force against Iran.” Barrett, Massie, Davidson and Fitzpatrick voted for the resolution.

Trump confronted Senate Republicans during a meeting in June on passing the resolution. Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy told reporters Trump was “mad as a murder hornet” over its passage.

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie announced Tuesday he would force a vote on impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for allegedly “operating in contravention of three specific provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.” He accused Hegseth of extrajudicial killings and of suppressing free speech by allegedly intimidating Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly for calling on service members to “refuse illegal orders.”