June 18, 2025
Trump May Go to War in Iran Without Congress — and That’s Just the New Normal
As President Trump weighs whether to attack Iran, the truth is, no one knows what he will do—and that uncertainty is exactly the point. But amid the chaos, one familiar question looms: What about Congress?
The pattern is now well-worn. A president — Democrat or Republican — considers the use of force. A bipartisan group of lawmakers demands a vote. The White House sidesteps congressional approval. And a handful of Members introduce War Powers Resolutions that go nowhere.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war but leaves much else unsaid, and potential ambiguity results from the tension between this and the president’s authority to give military orders as commander in chief.
That cycle is already underway, with Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) calling for Congress to reassert its constitutional role. As someone who served for years as a national security counsel to House leadership and the Foreign Affairs Committee, I believe that while Congress may still assert itself through symbolic War Powers Resolutions, it is highly unlikely to take another meaningful vote to authorize force — an unfortunate but predictable consequence of the Iraq War legacy.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war but leaves much else unsaid, and potential ambiguity results from the tension between this and the president’s authority to give military orders as commander in chief. In response to the Vietnam quagmire, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973, establishing procedures to check unilateral presidential military action. The law created three primary levers: formal Authorizations for Use of Military Force, a 60-day deadline for presidential withdrawal unless Congress acts, and privileged resolutions to force floor votes on military engagements.
Read the full article on The Hill.
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