House Iran War Vote Shows Why Congress Must Reclaim War Powers

In response to the House voting down a War Powers Resolution that would require Congress to authorize further military action in Iran (following a similar Senate vote yesterday), Issue One Director of National Campaigns Víctor Guillén provided the following statement:

“The Constitution makes clear that the power to declare war rests with Congress, not the president. As tensions with Iran escalate, Congress must reassert its constitutional role in decisions about the use of military force. For decades, presidents from both parties have stretched executive authority to justify prolonged military engagements with limited congressional input. That trend weakens the system of checks and balances the framers designed. Congress owes the American people a full debate and a say on matters of war and peace, especially when American troops are at risk and global conflicts can affect the costs families face at home.”

“We thank Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) for introducing a bipartisan resolution in the House, and Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) for doing the same in the Senate. We also commend Massie, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Paul for their unwavering commitment to the Constitution. But despite these individual members’ courage, the House and Senate votes rejecting War Powers Resolutions on Iran are part of a troubling trend of Congress ceding power to the president. Our representatives must stop this and instead ensure that the people’s voices are heard in decisions on whether to let this war continue.

“The rate at which this administration is starting new conflicts without Congress is unprecedented and risks undermining the constitutional balance of power. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes clear that Congress, as the branch closest to the American people, holds the authority to decide when the United States enters armed conflict. Yet just two months ago, the administration launched a military operation in my home country of Venezuela without meaningful involvement from Congress, despite the requirements outlined in the War Powers Act of 1973. Unless Congress reasserts itself now, the United States will likely be plunged into more ill-planned and pointless wars. Congress must enact reforms such as the ones outlined in the We the People Playbook to ensure that we pass our democracy and our ability to make collective decisions about war and peace on to future generations of Americans.”

Background

Issue One’s We the People Playbook would help stop a president from acting as a lone wolf when declaring war by reducing the window for unauthorized military actions and cutting off funding for wars that Congress does not explicitly approve. Issue One worked with Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), RepresentUS, Principles First, and The Chamberlain Network to create these and other policy recommendations that would receive broad, bipartisan support. These groups also came together ahead of the president’s State of the Union address last month to ask Congress to stop executive branch overreach, including on the issue of war powers.