Senate to vote on Iran war powers resolution
Senators will vote this afternoon on a bipartisan measure seeking to block unauthorized U.S. military action against Iran, forcing lawmakers to go on record as scrutiny of Trump’s war strategy grows.
Today in Congress
The Senate is set to vote this afternoon on a bipartisan measure aimed at reining in President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran, forcing lawmakers to take a clear position on whether the president can continue hostilities without congressional authorization.
The resolution, led by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), invokes Congress’s authority under the War Powers Resolution to require explicit congressional approval for U.S. participation in hostilities against Iran.
The measure would direct the administration to end unauthorized military action against Iran while preserving the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves or Israel from attack.
It remains unclear if the resolution will receive the handful of Republican votes it needs to pass, but Kaine said the vote will require every senator to declare whether sending American troops into a conflict with Iran serves the national interest.
The vote comes as scrutiny of Trump’s Iran policy intensifies on Capitol Hill following U.S. strikes and the deaths of six American servicemembers in the conflict.
The Senate considered a similar Iran war powers measure last June that attracted bipartisan support but fell short of the votes needed to advance.
Meanwhile, the House is expected to take up its own war powers measure on Thursday.
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are sponsoring a bipartisan resolution similar to the Senate proposal that would block unauthorized U.S. military action against Iran.
House Democratic leaders are whipping members to support the Khanna-Massie resolution and expect strong backing from the caucus.
A separate Democratic proposal introduced on Tuesday would give the administration 30 days to wind down hostilities while allowing U.S. forces to remain in the region for defensive purposes.
House Democrats are expected to discuss the competing approaches during their caucus meeting on Wednesday as pressure grows for Congress to weigh in on the expanding conflict.
I’ll have much more for paid subscribers in this evening’s edition of Congress Nerd Sunset.
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House is in at 10 a.m. and will vote at 1:30 p.m. on a rule for the 2026 Department of Homeland Security funding bill and two unrelated suspension bills. The House will also begin consideration of the Khanna-Massie War Powers Resolution.
The Senate is in at 10 a.m, and will resume consideration of the Housing for the 21st Century Act. The Senate will vote at 11 a.m. to open debate on the bill and at 4 p.m. on the Kaine resolution.
The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing at 9 a.m. on fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota. Attorney General Keith Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz will testify.
The House Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security at 10 a.m. Secretary Kristi Noem will testify.
The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on revitalizing the defense industrial base.
The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. with Internal Revenue Service CEO Frank Bisignano.
The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on building an AI-ready America through employer-led training.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing at 10:30 a.m. on America’s community colleges.
The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. to examine the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on the future of federal real estate management.
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic veterans will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. to speak out against the war in Iran.
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. to introduce the Trade Adjustment Assistance Modernization Act.
House Republican leadership will hold a post-meeting press conference at 10 a.m.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu will hold a press conference at 10:45 a.m.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. following the House Judiciary Committee hearing on DHS.
Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam) will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. to announce a bipartisan bill to lower student loans.
President Trump will participate in executive time at 8 a.m., a phone interview at 1:30 p.m, and a roundtable at 3 p.m. on the Ratepayer Protection Program, a voluntary initiative urging major tech companies to fund their own power generation for AI data centers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will hold a press briefing at 1 p.m.
In the Know
— House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va .) led more than 85 House Democrats in urging the Education Department to rethink proposed federal student loan regulations they say would worsen the student debt crisis by restricting access to aid and eliminating affordable repayment options. In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the lawmakers warned that the plan could further limit access to higher education for low- and middle-income borrowers, as millions of Americans are already struggling with delinquent or defaulted loans.
— House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is seeking transcribed interviews with seven people—including Bill Gates and Leon Black—as part of the panel’s investigation into the federal government’s handling of the sex-trafficking crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The request also targets Doug Band, Lesley Groff, Sarah Kellen, Kathryn Ruemmler and Ted Waitt as the committee reviews what lawmakers say were failures in the government’s investigation of Epstein’s network.
— A new Lumina Foundation–Gallup report finds that while most Americans still see value in higher education, cost and financial stress remain the biggest barriers to enrolling or finishing a degree. The survey shows strong interest in post-secondary education—57% of adults without a degree say they have considered enrolling in the past two years—but many cite affordability, mental-health pressures and financial strain as reasons they delay or leave school.
Read All About It
“How big tech is powering Trump’s immigration crackdown” by Caroline Haskins: “A WIRED analysis shows that ICE and CBP have collectively spent at least $515 million on products from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Palantir in the last few years alone.”
“The reason Gen Z isn’t dating” by Christine Emba: “Clavicular is a symptom of a larger disease.”
“There’s no such thing as a teacup pig. These people found out the hard way.” by Amira McKee: “Animal lovers lured by the promise of pocket-size roommates are discovering that in the livestock world, ‘mini’ is a relative term.”