The resolution is expected to fail, given the overwhelming opposition from Republicans and a small handful of Jewish Democrats. But party leaders want to get all lawmakers on the record by using a procedural move to sidestep GOP leaders and force the vote.
"The Iranian regime is brutal and destabilizing, seen most recently in the killing of thousands of protestors," a number of top Democrats said Thursday in a joint statement. "However, undertaking a war of choice in the Middle East, without a full understanding of all the attendant risks to our servicemembers and to escalation, is reckless."
The announcement arrives as Trump and other top administration officials are ramping up their threats against Tehran, both rhetorically and with a massive buildup of the U.S. armed forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carrier strike groups.
Negotiators for Iran and the U.S. are meeting in Geneva on Thursday in search of a deal on Tehran's nuclear program. But the accumulation of U.S. forces in the region has led to widespread speculation that Trump intends to use them.
The House resolution, sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), would require Trump to win approval from Congress before launching any strikes.
Only two Republican have so far said they'll support it, including Massie. and Rep. Warren Davidson (Ohio). Warren on Thursday pledged support, writing in a post on the social platform X that he has requested a classified briefing on the "mission in Iran," but he intended to back the resolution when it reaches the House floor next week, barring "new information."
"War requires Congressional authorization. These are actions short of war, but no case has been made," Davidson wrote.
And at least two Democrats — Reps. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.) and Jared Moskowitz (Fla.), both of whom are close Israel allies — have also announced their opposition.
Supporters of the resolution remain undeterred. They're pushing the measure as a way to reassert the constitutional power of Congress to wage war, arguing that any strikes on Iran without such approval would violate that separation of powers.
"We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress," the Democrats said.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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