Democratic senator introduced new legislation on Monday aimed at preventing U.S. President Donald Trump from taking military action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress, amid mounting concerns that escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran could spiral into a wider war.
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who has long pushed to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war, renewed his efforts with a resolution underscoring that only Congress—not the president—has the power to initiate military conflict. “It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States,” Kaine said, warning that the current tensions could quickly draw the U.S. into another prolonged conflict.
Kaine introduced a similar resolution during Trump’s first term in 2020, which passed both chambers of Congress with some Republican support but ultimately failed to override a presidential veto. His new measure restates that any military engagement with Iran must be authorized by a formal declaration of war or a specific use-of-force resolution, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
The war powers resolution is considered privileged under U.S. law, requiring the Senate to bring it to a vote without delay.
Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, also voiced strong opposition to potential U.S. involvement. He accused Israel of launching its strike on Iran to deliberately derail nuclear negotiations that had been planned for Sunday. “The U.S. Constitution is crystal clear: there can be no offensive use of military force—against Iran or any other country—without an explicit authorization from Congress,” Sanders said.
Some Republicans echoed those concerns. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky urged restraint, saying on NBC’s Meet the Press that he hoped Trump wouldn’t succumb to pressure to intervene. “It’s not the U.S.’ job to be involved in this war,” he said. Representative Thomas Massie, also of Kentucky, added on X, “This is not our war. We should not engage our military here.”
Still, most of Trump’s Republican allies, who currently hold the majority in Congress, are expected to support him if he opts for deeper involvement. Many have long backed strong U.S. military assistance to Israel. “If diplomacy fails… help Israel finish the job. Give them bombs, fly with them if necessary,” said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on CBS’s Face the Nation. “If you want to convince international terrorism we mean business, you’ve got to finish the job with Iran.”
On Friday, Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, stating that its goal was to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli territory. As the strikes have continued from both sides, resulting in civilian casualties and international alarm, world leaders gathered in Canada are expressing growing concern that the conflict between the two adversaries could ignite a larger regional war.
