The Blubber

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie introduced a resolution on Tuesday aimed at blocking American involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Breaking with President Donald Trump, Massie, who represents northern Kentucky, unveiled a bipartisan War Powers Resolution designed to prevent the United States from being drawn into the widening hostilities.

“This is not our war,” Massie wrote, emphasizing that even if it were, decisions of this magnitude must be made by Congress in accordance with the Constitution.

The most recent escalation began on Friday when Israel launched strikes on dozens of sites across Iran, targeting the country’s nuclear infrastructure, air defenses, and high-ranking officials. Iran has since responded with its own military actions.

According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, more than 220 Iranian civilians have been killed and 1,000 injured since the Israeli offensive began. On the Israeli side, at least 24 people have died and 600 have been wounded, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.

Massie, known for diverging from party lines on foreign policy, is leading efforts to scale back U.S. military involvement and reaffirm that any entry into the conflict must be authorized by Congress. “The Constitution does not permit the executive branch to unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that hasn’t attacked the United States,” Massie said in a statement Tuesday.

This isn’t the first time Massie has sought to rein in presidential war powers. He made a similar push in 2019 during Trump’s first term, partnering with a Democratic congressman to require explicit Congressional authorization before any military action against Iran.

Several Democrats have joined Massie in supporting the current resolution. Representative Ro Khanna of California announced he is co-leading the measure, which he described on social media as a privileged resolution—meaning it could come to a debate and floor vote after 15 days if not acted upon by a committee. “No war in Iran. It's time for every member to go on record,” Khanna said. “Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq, or do you stand with the American people?”

Other prominent Democrats backing the resolution include Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. In the Senate, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia introduced a parallel resolution Monday requiring congressional authorization or a formal declaration of war before the U.S. engages in direct military action against Iran.

In an interview with ABC News, President Trump declined to confirm whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had specifically requested deeper U.S. involvement in the conflict, only saying that “it’s possible we could get involved.”

Speaking to reporters after leaving the G7 summit in Canada a day early, Trump said he was not seeking a ceasefire, instead calling for a “real end” to the conflict and adding that he’s “not too much in the mood to negotiate.”