The House passed a resolution Thursday requiring congressional approval for the war in Iran, with the measure clearing the chamber by a vote of 214-208.
The effort was led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), who argued the conflict has had “no clear mission, no strategy, no end goal.”
Shortly after the House vote, the Senate narrowly rejected a similar resolution by a margin of 47-49, leaving the broader effort to constrain the administration short of a decisive legislative victory.
Democrats framed both votes as a deliberate signal to President Trump that his congressional support is eroding as the war extends into its fifth month with no clear resolution in sight.
The House resolution would direct the president to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran, including any potential ground forces deployed in a combat role or for occupation purposes.
Four Republican members crossed party lines to support the measure: Reps. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
The vast majority of Republicans in both chambers voted to back the war effort and effectively cede congressional war powers to the president.
Because the legislation is a concurrent resolution, it would not reach Trump’s desk for signature even if both chambers approved identical versions.
The votes came as casualty figures continued to mount, with 18 U.S. troops killed since fighting broke out in February and four of those deaths occurring since July 17 alone.
U.S. forces have also suffered nearly 500 injuries, with 100 of those coming in just the past two weeks, according to the Pentagon.
Joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes launched the conflict in late February, and while a ceasefire deal was reached in April, Trump declared earlier this month that the ceasefire was “over.”
This marked the fifth time the House has voted on a measure to rein in the administration’s military actions in Iran, and only the second time the chamber has successfully adopted such a resolution.
Last month, the Senate approved a war powers resolution only to reverse course the following day after Trump publicly criticized the initial vote.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Thursday he would introduce a resolution calling on the Speaker to sue the Trump White House over the matter.
Meeks told reporters, “I’m gonna force a vote on that so that we can now go to the courts and sue the administration for not following the will of Congress,” adding that he is exploring “all legal avenues.”
