EPIC FURY: War Powers Resolution Being Drafted in Congress

[Conservative Angle]

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“WAR.” — is it, or isn’t it?

That’s a big part of the question at the heart of the controversy surrounding the joint U.S. / Israeli attack on Iran.

And that’s one of the questions being debated as Congress prepares to vote on a war powers resolution regarding the ongoing military strikes against Iran.

I’ll be fully transparent up front: I’m somewhat torn on the issue, I do not have all the answers to that question, and I don’t presuppose to offer up a definitive answer in this story!

But the issue has boiled up to the top of the news cycle with emotions running high, and so I’m determined to report on it.

It’s a big deal, and I want you to have a current and accurate reporting of what is happening in that it will ultimately impact all of us as Americans.

So, here’s what’s happening:

Long before the news broke overnight that the anticipated attack on Iran was happening…

The debate over President Trump’s authority to carry out any pre-planned military action was already a hot topic in Congress, social media, and the news cycle.

And then early this morning, with missiles flying and air-defenses attempting to deflect them on both sides, the push to limit the President’s hand picked up speed.

Chuck Schumer was one of the first to call for Congress to cancel their current recess and hold a vote immediately on a war powers resolution, as was reported earlier today on MSNOW:

NEW: Senator Chuck Schumer is calling for Congress to return to Washington immediately to vote on a War Powers Resolution over Iran — pushing for a legislative check on military action after strikes. pic.twitter.com/U5RMsNQan2

— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) February 28, 2026

As you heard in that report, there was already a vote slated to take place in the coming days on the issue.

It was actually scheduled in advance, in anticipation of hostilities breaking out with Iran.

But now that the conflict is underway, there are calls to hold that vote sooner rather than later.

Obviously you can count on folks like Bernie ‘anti-Trump’ Sanders to vehemently go against ANYTHING President Trump does:

This Trump–Netanyahu war is unconstitutional and violates international law.

It endangers the lives of U.S. troops and people across the region.

We’ve lived through the lies of Vietnam and Iraq.

No more endless wars. Congress must pass a War Powers Resolution immediately.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 28, 2026

President Trump could have launched strikes against an invading force that had boots-on-the-ground on an American beachhead — and Bernie would probably be throwing a fit about Executive overreach.

But does anyone even take Bernie Sanders seriously anymore?

The real issue, as I see it, is that there is a legitimate rupture in the Republican Party revolving around serious issues.

And while many of us hold strong views in either direction, the fact is…

The divisions over this IMPORTANT QUESTION threatens to reshape the next three years of President Trump’s term in every area, regardless of the rightness or wrongness of this current action.

As well as how this particular issue should be handled without doing harm by weakening the Constitution or any branch of our government where they are intended to be strong.

So Bernie Sanders aside, who else is pushing against President Trump’s actions on this?

For one, Rep. Thomas Massie:

I am opposed to this War.

This is not “America First.”

When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran.

The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 28, 2026

There’s also his usual Democrat cohort in such matters, Rep. Ro Khanna, as Massie mentioned in his post.

Here’s a clip Khanna shared of himself a few days before the strikes on Iran started, talking about the upcoming war powers resolution vote:

Funding a war in the Middle East is not America first.

That’s why @RepThomasMassie and I are forcing a vote next week on our bipartisan Iran War Powers resolution. Instead of sending billions overseas, we need to invest in jobs, healthcare, and education here. pic.twitter.com/SgS2g3H6SJ

— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) February 25, 2026

And there’s also another expected personality pushing back against American military involvement against Iran.

Sen. Rand Paul shared this via his X account as the strikes were happening:

As yet another preemptive war is begun in the Middle East, John Quincy Adam’s words of wisdom still ring true:

“Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.”

Like most Americans I…

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 28, 2026

Here’s the full text of his post (which I have to admit I find compelling on many points… though the specific instance and issue before us is far from settled in my mind):

As yet another preemptive war is begun in the Middle East, John Quincy Adam’s words of wisdom still ring true:

“Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.”

Like most Americans I have sympathy for the plight of the Iranian people and all subjected people around the globe, from North Korea to Tibet.

But as Adam’s wrote, America: “goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.

She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.”

The Constitution conferred the power to declare or initiate war to Congress for a reason, to make war less likely.

Madison wrote that “the Executive Branch is the branch most prone to war, therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, delegated the war power to the legislature.”

As with all war, my first and purest instinct is wish Americans soldiers safety and success in their mission.

But my oath of office is to the Constitution, so with studied care, I must oppose another Presidential war.

Ultimately, social media posts won’t carry the day on the issue of preemptive military strikes, what constitutes “war”, or the limitations (if any) on the person carrying the title “Commander in Chief”.

So here’s how the argument is shaping up in Congress overall, as reported by the Associated Press:

Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict.

Both the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump’s decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a leader in the bipartisan effort. He said the strikes on Iran were “a colossal mistake.”

In the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are demanding Congress go on record with a public vote on their own bipartisan measure. “Congress must convene on Monday to vote,” Khanna said, “to stop this.”

Massie blasted Trump’s own presidential campaign slogan and said: “This is not ‘America First.’”

Many Democrats are calling the operation illegal, saying the Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. To them, the administration has failed to lay out its rationale or plan for the military strikes, and the aftermath.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said while Iran is a “bad actor and must be aggressively confronted” for its human rights abuses and the threat it poses to the U.S. and allies, the administration “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war.”

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, demanded that Congress be briefed immediately on the administration’s plans.

Now I promised up front that I wasn’t going to try to hash out all the nuances of this issue perfectly, or try to nail down “the” answer.

But I am going to draw attention to one of the strongest arguments on the other side of the coin… relative to some of the points I highlighted in bold from that Associated Press article.

Keep in mind these 3 takeaways which I highlighted above regarding the arguments in favor of limiting President Trump’s authority in this matter.

(I’m not saying these are necessarily true — I’m simply pointing to them as key arguments being used…):

1. Congress alone can declare “war”.
2. The President can not preemptively use military force without Congressional authorization.
3. Congress should be briefed on the President’s military plans.

We could spend HOURS debating just those three issues. Including what the law technically requires, as well as the more subjective issue of what “should” happen as a matter of good governance.

I am not going to try to do that here. (Pheeeewwww! You can relax a little.)

But I do want to point out one of the strongest arguments that may add some much needed nuance to several of those points, put forward against the President’s attack on Iran.

On one hand, Marjorie Taylor Greene makes a simple, ACCURATE statement:

Reminder, Congress has the sole power to declare war in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene

(@FmrRepMTG) November 29, 2025

That’s undeniably true.

But there’s a lot of nuance that should be unpacked.

Greta Van Susteren is one of the many pushing back with some of that nuance, highlighting the War Powers Act of 1973.

As she pointed out in a post this morning, aimed at Thomas Massie, the War Powers Act definitely has to be taken into consideration when it comes to situations just like this, with Iran.

Here’s that post:

NOTE: the War Powers Act (1973)permits a President to initiate military action without Congress – but must notify Congress (of course since 1973, we have cable, social media, etc so they already know but still must do official notice); last time Congress declared war: 1942…

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) February 28, 2026

And here’s the full text of her comment in case that isn’t fully visible:

NOTE: the War Powers Act (1973)permits a President to initiate military action without Congress – but must notify Congress (of course since 1973, we have cable, social media, etc so they already know but still must do official notice); last time Congress declared war: 1942 (Bulgaria,Hungry and Romania-not Korea,Vietnam , Gulf etc) – Congressman Massie is wrong.

That, also, is blatantly true and verifiable.

So with those 3 numerated takeaways I listed above in mind…

Even though Congress has the sole authority to “declare war” — a very technical thing — can the President “preemptively use military force without Congressional authorization” in certain scenarios?

According to the War Powers Act of 1973… that’s a definitive “Yes”.

Is he required to brief all of Congress on his military plans, as Chuck Schumer demanded?

Not necessarily… though he IS required to inform Congress of his actions within 48 hours, and keep them updated while hostilities are ongoing.

Again, some of that is objective and some of it is subjective.

Just calling ’em how I see ’em.

So at least in terms of “can” President Trump commit the US military to preemptive strikes against another country without a Congressional declaration of war, and even without notifying Congress in advance…?

That’s not really a question. The technical and non-subjective answer is “Yes”.

But that brings us to the real questions, here.

Should he? And what constitutes “war”… which would in effect reveal the TRUE boundary of Presidential authority in wielding military might within the auspices of being the Commander in Chief. (If I’m doing my math right.)

Expect those issues to come up as Congress debates all this with a vote in mind in the coming days.

Obviously, not everyone who claims the name of Republican in or out of Congress is against President Trump’s actions against Iran.

While almost all the Democrats (and those specific Republicans I referenced) are pushing back against him on this…

Both the Senate and House Republican Majority leaders are “praising Trump’s actions”.

That’s how one report put it, obviously slanted to make President Trump look bad regardless of how you approach this issue.

But then again, what else would you expect from CNN:

Top Capitol Hill Democrats, and a small number of Republicans, watched in alarm Saturday as the US launched a major assault on Iran, decrying President Donald Trump’s call for the overthrow of another foreign government without their expressed approval.

Now, House and Senate Democratic leaders — as well as the famously anti-interventionist Republican Rep. Thomas Massie — are demanding that GOP leaders bring Congress back into session immediately to hold a formal vote on the unfolding conflict in Iran.

Even if the measure passes, it is subject to a presidential veto, and a two-thirds vote to override could be a challenge to reach. So while it would be unlikely to change the president’s actions, it would be seen as a stunning rebuke of the administration.

One Republican, speaking to the CNN on the condition of anonymity because they had received classified briefings on the operation, fiercely disputed that Trump was leading the nation into another conflict akin to the Iraq War. The person believed there was wide support in the party for the president’s actions.

Indeed, dozens of Republicans were quick to praise Trump’s actions on Saturday morning, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. But there have been signs of cracks in the GOP in recent days amid rumblings of an Iran assault.

The full Congress has not received a briefing related to Iran, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe did deliver a classified update to the “Gang of Eight” earlier this week.

However you feel on this issue, the fact is — it is complicated.

And the fact that we’re talking about it in reference to a regime that could not be more DESERVING of a smack down… doesn’t make it less complicated.

At any rate, those are the facts.

This issue will continue heating up alongside the ongoing military engagement playing out in the Middle East.

And we’ll be here to bring you the latest from BOTH battlefields, no matter which way the wind blows.

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