Congress Debates First Votes on Iran War as Debate Rages

Senate and House set to vote on war powers resolution as administration officials try to reassure lawmakers.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The U.S. Senate is headed towards a vote on Wednesday on President Donald Trump's decision to embark on a war against Iran, an extraordinary test in Congress for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy. The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The Senate resolution and a similar bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass.

Why it matters

The votes in Congress this week represent potentially consequential markers of where lawmakers stand on the war as they look ahead to midterm elections and the consequences of the conflict. The attack on Iran represents an open-ended conflict that is already ricocheting across the region, unlike Trump's previous military campaigns, and is testing Republicans who are used to operating in a party dominated by Trump's promises of keeping the U.S. out of foreign entanglements.

The details

After launching a surprise attack against Iran on Saturday, Trump has scrambled to win support for a conflict that Americans of all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials have been a frequent presence on Capitol Hill this week as they try to reassure lawmakers that they have the situation under control, though they have not ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops. The goals for the war have shifted from regime change to stopping Iran from developing nuclear capabilities to crippling its navy and missile programs.

  • The Senate is headed towards a vote on Wednesday, March 6, 2026.
  • The House is set to vote on a similar war powers resolution later this week.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who decided to embark on the war against Iran without congressional approval.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Democratic leader who argued that "wars without clear objectives do not remain small" and that this is "not a necessary war" but "a war of choice".

Marco Rubio

The Secretary of State who told reporters that "we are not going to put American troops in harm's way".

John Thune

The Senate Majority Leader who said that what happens next in Iran will be "largely up to the Iranian people".

Tim Kaine

The Virginia Democrat leading the war powers resolution, who said "Everybody's got to declare whether they're for this war or against it."

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What they’re saying

“Wars without clear objectives do not remain small. They get bigger, bloodier, longer and more expensive.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic leader (wrdw.com)

“We are not going to put American troops in harm's way.”

— Marco Rubio, Secretary of State (wrdw.com)

“I think they are achieving great success with what they've done so far.”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader (wrdw.com)

“Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end-run around the Constitution. Everybody's got to declare whether they're for this war or against it.”

— Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat leading the war powers resolution (wrdw.com)

What’s next

The Senate is set to vote on the war powers resolution on Wednesday, March 6, 2026, while the House is expected to vote on a similar measure later this week. If the resolutions pass both chambers, they would still likely be vetoed by President Trump.

The takeaway

This vote in Congress represents a pivotal moment as lawmakers grapple with the open-ended conflict with Iran that has rapidly escalated, testing the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches and the willingness of Republicans to break from Trump's foreign policy agenda.