House Republicans cancel vote on Irancancel vote on Iran war powers
House Republicans on Thursday and Friday canceled a planned vote on legislation that would have constrained President Donald Trump’s military action in Iran, after the measure appeared close to passing.
The move comes amid repeated near-misses in Congress over war powers and matters because it keeps the White House’s Iran policy under intense domestic pressure.
House Republicans
Republican leaders said the vote should not proceed in its current form and moved to delay the effort. Their decision preserved party control over the floor while avoiding a defeat that might have exposed deeper splits on Iran.
Democrats
House Democrats criticized the cancellation and said Republicans were blocking lawmakers from voting on whether to curb the war. They argued the delay showed the administration was overreaching and that Congress should reassert its authority.
Trump administration critics
Critics of the White House said the proposed resolution was meant to force a withdrawal from what they called a costly war of choice. They framed the cancellation as another sign that the administration was relying on party discipline to hold support for the war.
- The War Powers Resolution was passed in 1973 after the Vietnam War.
- House procedures can be used to delay votes even when a measure has visible support.
- Iran policy has repeatedly split U.S. lawmakers since the 1979 revolution.
US-Iran Ceasefire War
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on June 26, 2026, in response to a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "foolish violation" of the 60-day ceasefire agreement signed just days earlier[2][4][14].
26 June, 09:35 PM
US launches strikes against Iran following commercial ship attack26 June, 04:47 PM
Trump calls Iran drone attack on cargo ship a ceasefire violation
