House Votes to Halt Trump's Attacks on Iran

Congress rejects war powers resolution, putting a stop to Trump's military actions against Iran

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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In a narrow 219-212 vote, the House of Representatives rejected a war powers resolution that would have halted President Donald Trump's attacks on Iran. The vote came a day after the Senate defeated a similar measure along party lines, as lawmakers grapple with the sudden reality of representing wary Americans in wartime.

Why it matters

The vote highlights the growing unease in Congress over the rapidly widening conflict with Iran, which is reordering U.S. priorities at home and abroad. The conflict has quickly carried echoes of the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with many Sept. 11-era veterans now serving in Congress.

The details

While the House vote was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for and opposition to the U.S.-Israel military operation and Trump's rationale for bypassing Congress, which alone has the power to declare war. Republicans largely back Trump, seeing the conflict as the end of a government that has long menaced the West, while Democrats oppose the war as a choice that is testing the balance of powers in the Constitution.

  • The House vote took place on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
  • The Senate defeated a similar war powers resolution a day earlier, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who ordered the attacks on Iran.

Gregory Meeks

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who said "Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case."

Brian Mast

A Republican Congressman from Florida and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who publicly thanked Trump for taking action against Iran and said the president is using his own constitutional authority to defend the U.S. against the 'imminent threat' Iran posed.

Jamie Raskin

A Democratic Congressman from Maryland who argued that the Constitution is clear that only Congress can decide matters of war.

Thomas Massie

A Republican Congressman from Kentucky who said "This administration can't even give us a straight answer as to why we launched this preemptive war."

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What they’re saying

“Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case.”

— Gregory Meeks, Top Democrat on House Foreign Affairs Committee (Fortune)

“The framers weren't fooling around. It's up to us.”

— Jamie Raskin, Democratic Congressman from Maryland (Fortune)

“This administration can't even give us a straight answer as to why we launched this preemptive war.”

— Thomas Massie, Republican Congressman from Kentucky (Fortune)

What’s next

The war powers resolution, if signed into law, would have immediately halted Trump's ability to conduct the war unless Congress approved the military action. The president would likely veto it.

The takeaway

This vote highlights the growing divide in Congress over the president's ability to unilaterally take the country to war, with Democrats arguing the Constitution gives that power solely to Congress, while Republicans largely back Trump's actions. The outcome underscores the challenges lawmakers face in representing a war-weary public.