In a rare show of cross-party defiance, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are moving swiftly to challenge former President Donald Trump’s decision to launch military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities without congressional approval—condemning the action as a direct affront to the Constitution and a dangerous step toward war.
The strikes, targeting Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, were unveiled by Trump late Saturday night in a post on Truth Social. While the former president hailed the operation as a success and a “step toward peace,” members of Congress responded with alarm and urgency—reviving efforts to limit presidential war powers through a formal resolution.
“This is not constitutional,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who, alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), is co-sponsoring the War Powers Resolution now gathering momentum on Capitol Hill. Citing Article I of the Constitution, which vests the power to declare war exclusively in Congress, Massie warned of the dangers of unilateral military action. “No president has the authority to launch offensive strikes without consulting Congress. Not Biden. Not Trump. Not anyone.”
This is not Constitutional. https://t.co/EU3fS5jcwb
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 21, 2025
Khanna, calling the situation a “tipping point,” urged Congress to immediately reconvene to vote on the resolution, which would mandate a halt to all unauthorized U.S. military operations in Iran and preclude any further escalation absent formal authorization from the legislative branch.
The resolution has attracted an ideologically diverse bloc of supporters, including progressive Democrats—Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib—and conservative firebrands like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). “This is not our fight,” Greene declared. “We have crises at home. Congress must reassert its authority and stop dragging our nation into foreign entanglements.”
In the Senate, a companion resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) echoed the House’s demands, noted Fox News. Kaine, a longtime advocate for reining in presidential war powers, denounced Trump’s strikes as “reckless,” arguing they could destabilize an already volatile region. He noted that prior Israeli airstrikes had already disrupted Iran’s nuclear program, and questioned the necessity—and legality—of American involvement.
Despite Trump’s assurances that “all planes returned safely” and his declaration that “now is the time for peace,” the fallout from the strikes continues to ripple through diplomatic and domestic channels. Iran’s government has denounced the U.S. strikes as illegal aggression, with its ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahreini, vowing to continue enriching uranium “for peaceful purposes.”
Not all anti-Trump figures called the attacks unconstitutional. Former Congressman Peter Meijer, a major critic of Trump, explained that the attacks were almost certainly constitutional.
If you’re wondering what powers/statute give President Trump legal authority to bomb Iran, here is a list in descending order of likelihood of citation:
– Article II (‘self-defense’ powers)
– 2001 AUMF (yep, Iran has harbored AQ)
– 1957 AUMF (prob some commie connection) (1/2)— Peter Meijer (@petermeijer) June 22, 2025
Sources say House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) were notified in advance of the operation, but that limited briefing has done little to quell congressional outrage. Lawmakers on both sides argue that Trump’s actions sidestepped constitutional checks and threaten to entangle the U.S. in yet another protracted conflict in the Middle East.
As of Sunday afternoon, the House War Powers Resolution had 27 co-sponsors, and more were expected to sign on amid growing concern over executive overreach.
