In a notable display of bipartisanship, several House Republicans broke with their party on Wednesday to support measures challenging the Trump administration's military engagement in Iran and bolstering assistance to Ukraine. The votes underscore deepening divisions within the GOP over the president's approach to foreign conflicts.
Iran War Powers Resolution Gains Bipartisan Support
Four Republicans voted with Democrats to pass a war powers resolution aimed at compelling the Trump administration to halt military operations against Iran. The defectors included Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Tom Barrett (Mich.), and Warren Davidson (Ohio). Massie, a co-sponsor of the resolution, has been a vocal critic of the administration's handling of the conflict.
“The People’s House is sending a message: end this war,” Massie wrote on social media after the vote. The Kentucky conservative, who faced a Trump-backed primary challenger and lost, has consistently pressed the White House to scale back its military campaign against Tehran.
Barrett cited the economic toll of the Iran war, which has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil trading route, driving up global energy prices and U.S. gas costs. “I share the interest in making sure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon, but we have to do this in a way that is done through the use of force authorization that Congress has the exclusive authority over,” Barrett told reporters. “Congress alone declares war. That’s something that we have to be, you know, certainly protective of.”
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Texas) praised the GOP lawmakers who crossed the aisle. “After nearly three months of playing games, Republicans finally joined Democrats to support a War Powers Resolution and push back on Trump’s illegal, dangerous, and expensive war with Iran,” she wrote on social media. “Our service members have sacrificed enough — and the American people should not be forced to bankroll an unauthorized war while they’re trying to afford groceries, gas, rent, and healthcare. It’s time to end this war. Now.”
Ukraine Aid Advances with GOP Help
Separately, six House Republicans voted to advance a discharge petition that clears the path for a vote on the Ukraine Support Act, a bill authored by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The legislation could authorize additional U.S. aid to Ukraine as it continues its prolonged war with Russia. The GOP lawmakers who supported the petition were Reps. Michael McCaul (Texas), Don Bacon (Neb.), Fitzpatrick, Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Max Miller (Ohio), and Joe Wilson (S.C.).
Bacon framed the vote as a historic choice. “Tonight we chose Churchill,” he wrote on social media, referencing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s staunch opposition to Nazi Germany, contrasting with Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policy. “We are not done yet, though. We have two more votes before this fully passes the House. Moral clarity and freedom must win.” The move comes as Ukraine has recently seized battlefield momentum, regaining territory for the first time since 2023, and amid reports that Trump's Russia-Ukraine mediation has collapsed.
The bipartisan cooperation on these foreign policy votes signals a potential shift in congressional dynamics, as lawmakers from both parties increasingly assert their constitutional authority over war powers and foreign aid. The Iran resolution and the Ukraine aid push are likely to face further hurdles in the House, but Wednesday’s votes demonstrate growing resistance to the administration’s unilateral military actions and a renewed commitment to supporting democratic allies.
