U.S. House rejects constraints on Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives on March 5 rejected an effort to force President Donald Trump to end unauthorized hostilities against Iran, defeating a war powers resolution by 219 votes to 212. The failed measure, House Concurrent Resolution 38, would have directed the president under the War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in Iran unless Congress authorized them. The vote came six days into what Reuters described at the time as an expanding conflict. Social media posts circulating this week that said the House had rejected constraints on Trump were referring to that March 5 vote, not to a new vote on May 16. ### Which House vote are people talking about? The House clerk’s roll call shows the vote occurred at 4:37 p.m. on March 5, 2026, on “agreeing to the resolution” directing the president to remove U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities in Iran. The resolution failed, with 212 yeas, 219 nays and one member not voting. Reuters reported on March 5 that the measure sought to stop Trump’s air war on Iran and require that hostilities be authorized by Congress. (clerk.house.gov) The House vote followed a Senate vote a day earlier that also failed to advance a war powers measure on Iran. ### What exactly did the defeated measure say? (clerk.house.gov) H.Con.Res. 38 was introduced on June 17, 2025, by Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, with Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, among the co-leads. The text directed the president, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. armed forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. (al-monitor.com) The War Powers Resolution is the 1973 law lawmakers use to force votes on unauthorized military action. Massie said when introducing the measure that Congress has the sole power to declare war against Iran and that the executive branch could not unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that had not attacked the United States. (congress.gov) ### Who voted for it, and who voted against it? The House clerk’s tally shows two Republicans voted yes and four Democrats voted no. ABC News identified the Republicans who backed the measure as Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson, and the Democrats who opposed it as Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden, Greg Landsman and Juan Vargas. Reuters said the vote was largely along party lines in a chamber controlled by Republicans. (massie.house.gov) That alignment is the basis for posts describing the House as having backed Trump’s position, though the formal action was the defeat of a specific concurrent resolution. ### Did the Senate take a similar vote? (clerk.house.gov) The Senate voted 53-47 on March 4 not to advance a bipartisan Iran war powers resolution. The Senate roll call describes the measure as directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against Iran that had not been authorized by Congress. ABC News reported that Senator Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote in favor of that Senate measure, while Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against it. (al-monitor.com) ### Is there a newer House effort pending now? Representative Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat, introduced H.Con.Res. 86 on April 20, 2026. (senate.gov) GovInfo identifies that measure as another concurrent resolution directing the president, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran. (abcnews.com) Representative Jared Golden said on May 13 that H.Con.Res. 86 could become eligible for a House floor vote as early as next week. As of May 16, the official legislative pages available through GovInfo and Congress.gov list the measure as introduced and referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (golden.house.gov) (govinfo.gov)