Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on Thursday became the second House Republican to back a resolution that would seek to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to take unilateral military action against Iran, setting up a potential bipartisan clash over war powers on the House floor as early as next week.
Davidson said on social media: "I have asked for a classified briefing defining the mission in Iran. In the absence of new information, I will support the War Powers resolution in the House next week."
He added, "War requires Congressional authorization. These are actions short of war, but no case has been made."
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is co-sponsoring the resolution, and House Democrats are expected to force a vote aimed at blocking Trump from launching strikes without prior congressional approval as his administration ramps up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program and expands the U.S. military presence in the region.
The effort is being driven by lawmakers who say Congress must reassert its constitutional authority as tensions rise, and it comes as the United States and Iran held another round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday under Omani mediation.
President Donald Trump, in his State of the Union address Tuesday, framed the administration’s approach as a mix of diplomacy and warning, saying: "We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon."
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said Thursday that "significant progress" had been made and that talks would resume after consultations in respective capitals.
The House vote, expected to be sought under procedures tied to the 1973 War Powers Resolution, would test whether lawmakers will try to curb a president’s ability to initiate or expand hostilities without explicit authorization, even as Trump argues that Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional posture demand credible military options.
The resolution’s prospects are uncertain, with Republican leaders expected to resist the effort and with at least two Democrats, Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., signaling opposition that could further complicate the whip count for backers.
Gottheimer, in a joint statement last week with Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said: "So long as ‘Death to America’ remains the rallying cry of the Iranian regime, Iran will remain a persistent and serious threat to our men and women in uniform, our allies, and global stability."
"We respect and defend Congress’s constitutional role in matters of war. Oversight and debate are absolutely vital. However, this resolution would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks, signaling weakness at a dangerous moment," they added.
The debate in the House unfolds against the backdrop of a long-running, politically charged fight over Iran’s nuclear program, the collapse years ago of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and more recent U.S. and allied concerns about Iran’s uranium enrichment and missile capabilities.
It also follows a turbulent period in the region that has included direct and proxy confrontations involving Iran and its partners, and it comes as Washington and Tehran attempt to find a diplomatic off-ramp even while the U.S. military posture around Iran remains elevated.
If the measure reaches the floor, it could become a defining vote for lawmakers in both parties as they weigh deference to presidential authority against a renewed push to constrain military action, with Davidson’s announcement signaling that at least a small slice of House Republicans may be willing to buck party leadership on war powers.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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