Dawn
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09:11 Mar 06, 2026
A narrow vote in the House on Thursday rejecting limits on presidential war powers highlighted a growing clash between President Donald Trump’s approach to the conflict with Iran and Congress’s constitutional authority over military action. The House voted 219–212 against a resolution that would have required the president to seek congressional authorisation before expanding US military operations against Iran. A similar effort in the Senate failed earlier, leaving the administration free to continue its current campaign. The resolution, introduced by lawmakers from both parties, sought to reassert Congress’s authority under the Constitution to approve acts of war. Its defeat underscored the sharp partisan divide on Capitol Hill over the administration’s strategy. “Today, I voted for the War Powers Resolution to put an immediate stop to President Trump’s unlawful war with Iran,” said Representative Judy Chu, a California Democrat. She argued that the administration had presented “no imminent threat” that woul...