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Trump's Iran war ending? What War Powers Resolution vote means amid negotiations - Explained
The House approved a war powers resolution on Wednesday that would halt military action in Iran, in a move that defied President Donald Trump.
The House approved a war powers resolution on Wednesday aimed at halting the military action in Iran, in a move that defied President Donald Trump. The move was supported by some Republican lawmakers as well, indicating growing concerns about the conflict as Trump seeks to find a resolution.
The War Powers Resolution is a 1973 federal law which was designed to limit the president's ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad without approval from the Congress.
However, the approval of the war powers resolution does not mean an immediate stop to the Iran war.
What happens next after war powers resolution approved?
Now, the war powers resolution will head to the Senate where they have to approve it. Then it goes to the president who can veto it.
Reuters called the vote ‘largely symbolic’. It would have to pass in the Senate to be effective and garner two-thirds majority in both chambers. It would also have to overcome an ‘almost certain’ Trump veto, the agency noted.
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Thus, this is only step one towards a possible end to the Iran war, and until both Congress and the Senate pass it, and Trump agrees to it, the best recourse to a resolution at this moment remains the peace deal that the president is working on.
What to know about the House vote on war powers resolution
The House voted 215 to 208 and approved the war powers resolution. House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent this outcome abruptly shutting down floor action two weeks back, when the war powers resolution was on the verge of approval.
The approval shows mounting opposition to the war. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York had said earlier “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 USD 100 billion -- that's extraordinary -- and left our country in a weaker position relative to Iran.”
This is the fourth time the House has tried to curb the US war against Iran and marks the first time the House was able to pass the measure. The Senate, meanwhile, advanced its own war powers resolution last month which saw some GOP senators break rank with Trump, in a rare pushback.
As per Associated Press, even if the approval of the war powers resolution does not stop the war, it will give a ‘symbolic if not legal step’ against more military action against Iran.
