When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, with April 29 marking 60 days since the U.S. began strikes against Iran, Democrats are hoping Republicans may finally be ready to rein in President Donald Trump’s war authority.
That may be wishful thinking.
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must terminate the use of armed forces after 60 days unless Congress authorizes military action, though the president could request a 30-day extension to ensure the safe withdrawal of troops and the extra time is not meant to continue combat operations.
For weeks, Democrats have been eying April 29 as a potential inflection point for a war powers resolution, which could constrain Trump’s military authority in Iran. As the date nears, Democrats have been increasing the pressure.
“There has to be a vote at the end of 60 days, and my Republicans, if they have any respect for the law and the Constitution, will vote to end this war,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Congress needs to take back its power over declarations of war.”
He added that, “come April 29, my Republican colleagues are gonna be put to the test.”
“The American people want this war to end,” Blumenthal said. “They’re going to be held accountable if they allow it to continue, and this day will be a marker, a milestone and potentially a measure of accountability.”
But if you ask Republicans about that April 29 date, as MS NOW did this week, they will come back with a litany of reasons they are not ready.
For one, Republicans expect Trump to request a 30-day extension, arguing that such a move would be in compliance with the law. For another, some have suggested various ceasefires warrant more time. And still some others say they do not want to curb the president’s military authority, particularly when negotiations — at least by Trump’s claims — are ongoing.
“I think he’ll take the extension, because that’s what the law allows,” one House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, told MS NOW. “There’s no reason, in this moment, as they’re trying to negotiate — the military right now is in a ceasefire, so the issue is addressing these outstanding issues. So I’m sure they will take the 30-day extension.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, the Democrat turned Republican, said he hopes Trump requests another 30 days.
“At this point, just to avoid another argument and more disharmony, I’d like the 30-day extension, and hopefully that does it,” Van Drew said.
Other Republicans, meanwhile, are brushing off any significance surrounding the 60-day mark, claiming the conflict will be over by then anyway.
On Wednesday — just seven days before the 60-day mark — reporters asked Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., about the upcoming deadline. Hawley’s response? “Let’s hope it’s over by then,” he said.
“I think the president’s working assiduously towards that end,” Hawley said. “If it is not over by then, the administration can request an additional 30 days, such as certain conditions.”
The Missouri Republican cited the president’s comments touting the destruction of Iran’s military.
“He has said, militarily, we’ve achieved all of our objectives. So I interpret that to mean that he is trying to draw this towards a conclusion, towards a diplomatic conclusion,” Hawley said. “Clearly he is, because he’s trying to restart negotiation.”
Pressed on the 60-day mark, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told MS NOW: “I hope it’s resolved really quickly.”
“I have to see where we are,” she said. “I mean, things are changing.”
Even the loudest GOP critics of the war in Iran do not expect the administration to hold a vote next week — or their GOP colleagues to break ranks.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, the GOP cosponsor of a war powers resolution to cease hostilities in Iran, said he expects Trump to request a 30-day extension, making Wednesday largely moot.
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“The 30-day extension is sort of perfunctory and will happen. So that’s not a real deadline,” Massie said.
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who supported an Iran war powers resolution in March before voting “present” last week, said Congress should be supporting the administration’s peace talks.
“We shouldn’t be doing anything except supporting the president’s negotiations,” Davidson said, while still calling the conflict “a war of choice.”
The GOP willingness to give Trump more time is a blow to Democrats, who have been trying to convince Republicans to put a check on Trump’s authority in the Middle East.
In the House, there have been two failed attempts to pass a war powers resolution, which calls for the cessation of military activity in Iran until Congress declares war or authorizes military action. In the Senate, there have been five failed attempts.
The war powers vote, to be sure, is largely symbolic. Even if the resolutions were adopted, Trump is almost certain to veto such a measure — and Congress is unlikely to reach the two-thirds threshold needed to overturn a veto.
Despite their hope for some GOP defectors, Democrats are well-aware of the current situation.
“I don’t think there’s any particular significance to April 29 in the minds of the Trump administration,” Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told MS NOW. “We’ve been pressing for the enforcement of the War Powers Act in our votes. We’ll continue to have those votes. We’ll continue to put pressure on them. I see no reason to expect that the Trump administration is going to honor that deadline in any way at this point.”
Asked if he was hopeful that the administration would come to Congress on April 29, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had a succinct answer: “No.”
“Thus far, they’ve done everything that they can to avoid Congress and not deal with what the Constitution says,” Meeks said. “They tried to avoid it in every which way.”
The dynamics, however, could change in the coming weeks.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a moderate Republican and strong proponent of the War Powers Act, introduced a war powers resolution last week that says the 60-day period should not include time when the U.S. and Iran are in a ceasefire, potentially kicking the deadline into May.
Massie and Davidson, meanwhile, said that while they do not think April 29 holds any significance, May 29 — the 90-day mark — will be key.
“I think it’s going to be the end of May,” Massie said.
“We’ll see what’s going on by the 60th day, but you will have a constitutional crisis, or at least a conflict with the War Powers Act if, at least you don’t do something by the 90th day,” Davidson said. “I think, like early June, if we haven’t, if we’re still engaged in combat operations in Iran, you know, there needs to be a clear authorization.”
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.