US House passes war powers resolution to curb Trump’s authority in Iran

The US House of Representatives delivered a rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.

The House voted 215 to 208 in favor of the war powers resolution, as four Republicans voted with Democrats, which came nearly two weeks after House Republicans cancelled an earlier scheduled vote, on the grounds that they lacked the votes to defeat it. The dissident Republicans were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Tom Barrett of Michigan. A handful of Senate Republican defectors joined Democrats last month to advance a similar resolution forcing Trump to seek congressional approval after four Republican senators rebelled and voted with the Democrats.

Republicans in the Senate have forced the president to withdraw a demand for $1bn in security funding for his White House ballroom project, and to abandon a proposed $1.8bn “anti-weaponization fund” that would have seen Trump’s political allies – including offenders convicted over the 6 January 2021 assault on the US Capitol – awarded compensation at taxpayers’ expense.

This was the fourth time the House had voted on a resolution to rein in Trump’s power to continue the conflict, which has now been running for more than 90 days. Polls have consistently shown low public support for the war, amid fear among Republicans that anger over rising fuel costs that it has triggered will cost the party in November’s congressional midterm elections.