House effort to end Trump’s war with Iran fails by one vote

WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to reject a resolution ordering President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran.

The vote was 213-214, almost entirely along party lines, as Republicans overwhelmingly stick with Trump, refusing to slap guardrails on his military campaign.

Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted for it, while one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted against it. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who previously voted to end the Iran war, voted “present.” Three Republicans did not vote.

The measure, proposed by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., “directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” with exceptions for extreme cases under the War Powers Resolution, “unless explicitly authorized” by Congress.

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“Donald Trump has dragged the American people into a war of choice, launched without congressional authorization. The president has no coherent strategy, and this open-ended, undefined military engagement is precisely what the War Powers Resolution was designed to restrain,” Meeks said on the floor before the vote. “Every day we delay, we inch closer to a conflict with no exit ramp.”

In recent days, Trump has been embroiled in a public spat with Pope Leo XIV over the pope’s criticism of the Iran war. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sided with Trump in that clash.

“A pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “And I think the Pope’s received some of that.”

“The stakes that are so high in the situation that we’re facing,” Johnson said, calling Iran “the largest sponsor of terrorism.”

On March 5, just days after the U.S.-Israel strikes that launched the war, the House failed to advance a measure to end it by a vote of 212-219.

The vote comes as recent national polls show the public does not support the war.

A recent CBS News poll found that 60% of Americans disapprove of the U.S. military action in Iran. The survey found that 64% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the situation, while 62% believe Trump doesn’t have a clear plan.

There is also economic fallout. Gas prices have risen since the war began, and the rising costs of diesel and fertilizer have fueled fears of political fallout among Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Those factors may also sway GOP votes on future war powers measures.

The House vote Thursday came one day after the Senate voted 52-47 to reject a similar measure, with nearly every Republican voting to allow Trump to continue his military campaign in Iran without restraints, and all but one Democrat voting to end it.

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