Why Congress Needs to Vote on My Bipartisan War Powers Resolution
America cannot afford another endless war in the Middle East.
Americans do not want a war with Iran. The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is real, but dragging the United States into another conflict in the Middle East is not the solution.
President Trump’s military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities this week put Americans, our troops, and embassies at risk. And this is only the beginning. If Trump continues down this path, the financial and human toll will rise sharply—especially if Iran follows through on its warnings that it will retaliate against US forces stationed in the region.
Congress needs to vote immediately on my bipartisan War Powers Resolution with Representative Thomas Massie to ensure that President Trump does not unilaterally escalate military action without congressional approval. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress—not the president—the sole power to declare war. It is structured as a privileged resolution, meaning it will receive a vote. Every member of Congress will have to decide whether they stand for diplomacy and the Constitution, or for endless war and executive overreach.
We have used this authority to rein in US militarism before. When I came to Congress, I worked with Senator Bernie Sanders to introduce the first War Powers Resolution in US history to pass both chambers. It aimed to end unauthorized US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which had senselessly taken hundreds of thousands of innocent Yemeni lives. The resolution succeeded. It passed Congress with bipartisan support. And President Trump, faced with congressional opposition, slashed US support for the Saudi war machine, ultimately leading to their exit from the brutal conflict.
Situations such as this are exactly why our Constitution prohibits presidents from launching attacks without congressional authorization. The framers understood that once a war begins, public and political pressures often force escalation. We have proved that Congress can reassert its constitutional role—and we can do it again. But we have to act fast.
For Americans exhausted by decades of war, this week’s events feel like a bad dream. After months of direct diplomacy between the United States and Iran, President Trump’s emissaries were preparing for another round of nuclear negotiations.
The prospects were real: A deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program was achievable. A diplomatic deal to avert war and bring benefits to both Americans and the Iranian people was in sight.
What made this more stunning is that just weeks earlier, Trump had reportedly told Netanyahu not to launch a strike that could undermine diplomacy. Yet, following the Israeli operation, Trump reversed course—praising the attacks, leveraging them to threaten Iran, and abandoning his focus on being an elite diplomatic dealmaker.
Entrenching the US in another Middle East war is exactly what Trump had promised American voters he wouldn’t do. He campaigned against regime change wars, which he has now signaled he would support. He pledged to bring our troops home, to put “America First,” and to reduce our military footprint in the Middle East. Americans expected a focus on ending waste and lowering prices, but a conflict with Iran would explode our deficits. Ten percent of our $36 trillion national debt is from the Iraq War. Many Americans took Trump at his word. But even his own supporters are now speaking out against the strikes and further escalation with Iran.
A majority of Americans want Trump to pursue peace and diplomacy over another costly war. A new Economist/YouGov survey shows that just 16 percent of Americans support joining Israel’s conflict with Iran and a majority support US negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Among Trump’s own 2024 voters, most oppose US military intervention in the conflict.
And we know that diplomacy is effective. President Obama’s JCPOA limited enrichment to 3.67 percent and only in Natanz. Since Trump ripped up the agreement, there has been 60 percent enrichment in Fordo and high levels of enrichment scattered across Iran. Even if Trump’s strikes caused a temporary disruption, it would not eliminate Iran’s capacity. In reality, Iran could simply rebuild—this time with no international inspectors.
It’s not too late for Trump to reverse course and get back to the negotiating table to stop Iran from having a nuclear bomb. But if he insists on continuing down the path of war and regime change, our War Powers Resolution will ensure that the American people will know which representatives stood for peace and who voted to prolong America’s disastrous experiment with endless war that has created a generation of hate.
We cannot let the Beltway push us into another costly and disastrous conflict against the will of the American people. We need to urgently pass our bipartisan War Powers Resolution and mobilize the millions of Americans on both the left and the right who want de-escalation and a path of tough diplomacy and peace.
Support The Nation’s June Fundraising Campaign
With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.
As Trump spends over $1 billion a day on a globally destabilizing war on Iran and admits that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” millions across the country are struggling with the surging costs of essentials. Democrats must seize this moment and advance bold, small-“d” populist ideas—not settle for cynical caution that once again snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Nation elevates progressive ideas, movements, and elected officials achieving real change across the country into the national conversation. At the same time, our journalists are exposing how crypto and AI-funded super PACs are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to knock out candidates they oppose, reporting on the devastating impact of the Supreme Court’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act, and sounding the alarm on attempts by red states to quickly redraw electoral maps, disenfranchising Southern Black voters.
We can play this critical role because of support from readers like you. This June, we’re raising $20,000 to power The Nation’s independent journalism in the run-up to November’s immensely consequential elections.
It’s in our power to build a more just society, and your support at this critical moment brings us closer to that bold vision. I hope you’ll donate today.
Onward,
Katrina vanden Huevel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation
More from The Nation
Trump’s Disregard for International Humanitarian Law Won’t End When the Iran War Does Trump’s Disregard for International Humanitarian Law Won’t End When the Iran War Does
As political pressure to end the war grows, Americans must not overlook the president’s blatant violations of the rule of law, abroad and at home.
Hasan Piker’s Ban Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg Hasan Piker’s Ban Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
The British government’s decision to revoke the leftist streamer’s visa is part of an ongoing, authoritarian crackdown against pro-Palestine speech.
Stalemate or Escalation in Ukraine Stalemate or Escalation in Ukraine
With the war in Ukraine grinding into stalemate, the danger is no longer breakthrough but escalation beyond anyone’s control.
Trump Is Weaponizing Long-Standing Restrictions on Freedom to Travel to Cuba Trump Is Weaponizing Long-Standing Restrictions on Freedom to Travel to Cuba
The administration is targeting travelers who criticize US policy.
The Palestinian Authority Is Being Strangled to Death The Palestinian Authority Is Being Strangled to Death
Israel is engineering the collapse of the West Bank’s governing body—a key step on the way to full annexation.
