Lawmakers calls Trump’s strikes on Iran ‘unconstitutional’

Co-sponsors of the Struggle Powers Decision, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had been fast to criticize President Donald Trump for greenlighting assaults on three nuclear websites in Iran Saturday night time. 

“This isn’t constitutional,” Massie mentioned, responding to Trump’s Reality Social submit saying the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran. 

The bipartisan Struggle Powers Decision was launched within the Home of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike. 

Sources acquainted informed Fox Information Digital that each Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., had been briefed on the strikes forward of time. 

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“Trump struck Iran with none authorization of Congress. We have to instantly return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my Struggle Powers Decision to forestall America from being dragged into one other countless Center East warfare,” Khanna mentioned. 

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This week, lawmakers sounded off on the unconstitutionality of Trump hanging Iran with out congressional approval. Congress has the only energy to declare warfare beneath Article I of the Structure. 

The Struggle Powers Decision seeks to “take away United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities within the Islamic State of Iran” and directs Trump to “terminate” the deployment of American troops in opposition to Iran with out an “licensed declaration of warfare or particular authorization to be used of army forces in opposition to Iran.”

As Trump introduced his strikes in opposition to Iran – with out congressional approval – Khanna mentioned representatives ought to return to Capitol Hill to forestall additional escalation.

And within the higher chamber, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., launched his personal warfare powers decision forward of the bipartisan duo within the Home. Whereas the decision had been gaining steam along with his colleagues, momentum could possibly be stalled because of the strikes. His decision is privileged, that means that lawmakers should think about it. The earliest it could possibly be voted on is Friday.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters whereas flying aboard Air Power One en route from Calgary, Canada to Joint Base Andrews, Md., late Monday, June 16, 2025.  (AP Picture/Mark Schiefelbein)

Kaine argued in a press release that “the American public is overwhelmingly against the U.S. waging warfare on Iran.”

“And the Israeli International Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program again ‘at the very least 2 or 3 years,'” he mentioned. “So, what made Trump recklessly determine to hurry and bomb immediately? Horrible judgment. I’ll push for all senators to vote on whether or not they’re for this third idiotic Center East warfare.”

This week on Capitol Hill, Massie, the conservative fiscal hawk who refused to signal onto Trump’s “large, lovely invoice,” constructed an unlikely bipartisan coalition of lawmakers resisting the U.S.’ involvement within the Center East battle. 

“This isn’t our warfare. But when it had been, Congress should determine such issues in keeping with our Structure,” Massie mentioned. 

Massie, whom Trump threatened to main in the course of the Home GOP megabill negotiations, invited “all members of Congress to cosponsor this decision.” By Tuesday night time, the bipartisan invoice had picked up 27 cosponsors, together with progressive “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

Throughout the political aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her help, writing that Individuals need an inexpensive price of dwelling, protected communities and high quality training “not going into one other international warfare.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., leaves the Capitol Hill Membership after a gathering of the Home Republican Convention on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photos)

“This isn’t our combat,” Greene doubled down on Saturday night time, earlier than Trump’s Reality Social announcement. 

The invoice’s authentic co-sponsors additionally embody progressive Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Summer season Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who known as it unconstitutional for “Trump to go to warfare and not using a vote in Congress.”

White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Thursday that Trump would make his choice about whether or not to bomb Iran inside two weeks. 

“Now we have accomplished our very profitable assault on the three Nuclear websites in Iran, together with Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are actually exterior of Iran air house. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the first website, Fordow. All planes are safely on their method dwelling. Congratulations to our nice American Warriors. There may be not one other army within the World that would have completed this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thanks in your consideration to this matter,” Trump mentioned Saturday night time. 

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Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear services and army leaders final week, which the Islamic Republic thought of a “declaration of warfare.” Strikes between Israel and Iran have raged on since, as Trump mentioned he was contemplating whether or not to log off on U.S. strikes in opposition to Iran. 

The Jewish State focused Iran’s nuclear capabilities after months of failed negotiations within the area and heightened concern over Iran creating nuclear weapons. 

However Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, mentioned Iran “will proceed to provide the enriched uranium so far as we’d like for peaceable functions,” as Israel, and now the U.S., have issued strikes in opposition to Iran’s nuclear capabilities.