Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday following his primary win that lawmakers should focus on "full-throated support for our young men and women who are in harm's way" as the Senate prepared to vote on whether to limit President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action against Iran.
When asked on "Bianca Across the Nation" what he would tell Democrats and Republicans weighing a vote to block Trump from using further military force against Iran, Self framed it as a question of timing and unity, saying, "Why do both parties only have this conversation when we have troops in harm's way?"
Self, a member of both the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, argued for separating the war powers debate from the immediacy of conflict, saying, "That's what we always do," and added, "Let's have this conversation when we're not emotionally attached to a concurrent attack."
He then pressed his core message bluntly, saying, "So I say, stop the bellyaching, and let's start supporting our troops who are in harm's way."
The Senate was set to vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution tied to Iran, with a House vote expected Thursday, Reuters reported.
At the center of the Senate debate is Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who introduced an Iran war powers measure in June 2025 that would direct the president to terminate the use of U.S. forces for hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes it.
Asked for his message to skeptics in both parties, Self kept the emphasis on service members rather than parliamentary maneuvering, saying, "If you want to do it, we need full-throated support for our young men and women who are in harm's way."
Self, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former county judge, won reelection to Texas' 3rd Congressional District after defeating Democrat Sandeep Srivastava in 2024. The district includes parts of Frisco, Plano, and McKinney.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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