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‘Meaningless vote, unpatriotic’: Trump fumes as Republican-led House moves to stop Iran war
The four Republicans who voted in favour of the resolution were Thomas Massie, Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson and Brian Fitzpatrick.
The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Thursday (local time) approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting American military action against Iran, marking the first time lawmakers have successfully passed such a measure despite opposition from President Donald Trump.
The resolution cleared the House in a 215-208 vote after four Republicans broke ranks and joined Democrats over February 28 conflict that has stretched on for over three months.
The vote represents the strongest congressional challenge yet to Trump's handling of the war, which according to several media reports has become increasingly costly and unpopular.
Trump calls vote ‘meaningless’
Trump reacted angrily to the House action, dismissing it as a symbolic gesture and accusing lawmakers of interfering with ongoing efforts to end the conflict.
“The House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a social media post. “Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand.”
The president also lashed out at the Republicans who supported the measure, portraying them as political grandstanders.
Four Republicans break with Trump
The four Republican lawmakers who voted in favour of the resolution were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, news agency Bloomberg reported.
The vote marked the fourth attempt by Democrats this year to force House consideration of a measure limiting US military involvement in Iran. Previous efforts had failed to attract enough Republican support.
Fitzpatrick later defended his decision, arguing that the war was worsening economic pressures already being felt by American households.
“This certainly isn’t helping on inflation,” Bloomberg quoted him as saying. The Pennsylvania congressman represents a politically competitive district in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Democrats cite rising costs of war
Democrats framed the vote as a rejection of what they described as an unnecessary and expensive conflict.
Ahead of the vote, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries argued that continued military action against Iran was weakening the United States while imposing a significant financial burden on taxpayers.
“This reckless and costly war of choice needs to end today. All we need are a handful of Republicans to join us and we can end this reckless and costly war of choice – a war that has cost the American taxpayer over $100 billion – that's extraordinary -- and left our country in a weaker position relative to Iran.”
Largely symbolic measure
While the resolution represents a significant political setback for the White House, its practical impact on the conflict remains uncertain.
According to the Associated Press, even if the war powers resolution does not directly end the war, its approval serves as a “symbolic if not legal step” against further military action against Iran.
