- Four Republicans join Democrats in backing the measure.
- The House also supports the Ukraine measure that leaders oppose.
- Democrats emphasize “affordability” as the November midterm elections approach.
The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a resolution to stop 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 to 208, as four Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution. It was the latest setback for Trump in Congress despite his party’s slim majorities in both the House and Senate.
The vote is largely symbolic. Any resolution would also have to pass the Senate to be effective and obtain two-thirds majorities in both chambers to overcome a near-certain veto by Trump.
However, the vote reflects unease among some Republicans over Trump’s handling of the conflict and marks a rare bipartisan effort to rein in presidential war powers.
The war has entered its fourth month with no end in sight and after three previous war powers resolutions had failed in the House by increasingly narrow margins.
The Senate introduced a separate but similar resolution last month in a procedural vote, after seven previous attempts had 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 rejection against Trump
Trump has recently faced some opposition in Congress, after months in which very few Republicans rejected any of his policy initiatives.
In a separate vote Wednesday, the House voted to advance a vote on providing security aid to Ukraine and imposing new sanctions on Russia. The measure was put to a vote after a petition reached the 218 signature threshold last month to move forward.
Six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with the Republicans voted in favor.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the administration was abandoning a fund to pay political allies who said they were subjected to government abuse, after some Republicans spoke out against it.
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.
