- Four Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
- House also supports the Ukrainian measure that leaders opposed.
- Democrats emphasize ‘affordability’ as November midterm elections approach.
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a resolution to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party over the three-month-old conflict.
The House voted 215-208, with four Republicans voting with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution. This is Trump’s latest setback in Congress, despite his party’s slim majorities in the House and Senate.
The vote is largely symbolic. Any resolution would also need to pass the Senate to become effective and garner a two-thirds majority in both chambers to overcome an almost certain veto by Trump.
The vote nonetheless reflects unease among some Republicans with Trump’s handling of the conflict and marks a rare bipartisan effort to limit the president’s war powers.
The war entered its fourth month with no end in sight and after three previous war powers resolutions failed in the House by increasingly slim margins.
The Senate introduced a separate but similar resolution last month in a procedural vote, after seven previous attempts failed.
The four House Republicans who voted for the war powers resolution were Reps. Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
No Democrats voted against it, although seven House members did not vote.
Recent reaction against Trump
Trump has recently faced some opposition in Congress, after months in which very few Republicans pushed back on his policy initiatives.
In a separate vote Wednesday, the House voted to take a floor vote on providing security aid to Ukraine and imposing new sanctions on Russia. The measure came up for a vote after a petition reached the threshold of 218 signatures last month to move forward.
Six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with Republicans voted in favor.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the administration was abandoning a fund intended to pay political allies who say they were victims of government abuse, after some Republicans spoke out against the fund.
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also criticized Trump’s choice of loyalist Bill Pulte — a mortgage regulator with no national security experience — to serve as acting director of national intelligence.
