House Republicans narrowly defeated a resolution on Thursday that would have ended U.S. military involvement in Iran, failing by a 212-212 tie vote. The outcome marks the third time a war powers measure has stalled in the lower chamber since the conflict began.
Three Republicans broke ranks to support the resolution, while one Democrat, Representative Jared Golden of Maine, voted against it. Under House rules, a tie vote kills the measure.
The result is a win for President Trump and GOP leaders, who maintain that the president has unilateral authority to use force against Tehran. They argue that ending the conflict would strengthen Iran's Islamic regime and undermine U.S. and allied security.
For Democrats and a handful of Republicans, the defeat underscores their ongoing struggle to assert Congress's constitutional role in authorizing military action abroad. Despite the setback, progressive lawmakers are vowing to force repeated floor votes on similar resolutions in the weeks ahead, aiming to spotlight a conflict that polls show is unpopular with many voters and to put Republicans on the record in support of it.
The strategy, led by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is designed to generate public debate. Supporters may gain momentum in the next round, as Golden—a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan—said he opposed Thursday's resolution only because its 30-day withdrawal deadline had already passed. He pledged to back a future “clean” version without an outdated timeline.
“I supported this resolution when it was introduced, but unfortunately its proposed 30-day deadline lacks any real meaning now that we are more than 70 days into this conflict,” Golden said in a statement. “It no longer passes the straight-face test. I look forward to voting for a clean, relevant resolution as soon as possible.”
The resolution, sponsored by Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a vocal supporter of Israel, initially hesitated to compel Trump to seek congressional approval before striking Iran, citing the security threat Tehran posed. But by the time the measure reached the floor on March 5—just days after the conflict erupted—Gottheimer had shifted, criticizing the administration for failing to provide a clear rationale for starting the war or a plan for ending it.
Gottheimer's bill invoked the 1973 War Powers Act, which requires presidents to win congressional approval within 60 days of launching military action. The resolution accelerated that timeline to 30 days.
A similar effort in the Senate was blocked on Wednesday, marking the seventh time Trump's allies have killed a Democratic war powers resolution there. That vote did pick up additional GOP support, with Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky in backing it.
