A bipartisan effort in Congress is gaining traction as lawmakers seek to prevent U.S. involvement in a potential war between Israel and Iran. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the “Bipartisan War Powers Resolution,” emphasizing that only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war. The resolution is designed to force a vote under War Powers procedures, and it has received support from Democrats including Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-leads the bill, as well as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. All three Democrats stressed the importance of avoiding another costly and prolonged Middle East conflict, with Tlaib warning against repeating the mistakes of the Iraq War and AOC writing simply, “Signing on.”

Opposition to the resolution has emerged, notably from Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who dismissed the measure partly based on its sponsors, stating, “If AOC and Massie are a yes, that’s a good bet I’ll be a no.” He cited national security threats from Iran as justification. On the Senate side, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a parallel resolution, advocating for congressional oversight and caution before any military action. As debate intensifies in Washington, President Donald Trump returned from the G7 summit dismissing international cease-fire efforts, stating he seeks a “real end” to the conflict rather than a temporary pause—raising concerns about further U.S. entanglement in the region. The resolution underscores growing congressional pushback against unilateral military action and renewed calls for democratic checks on war powers.