Sixth Iran War Powers Vote Passes 220-204 as Three More House Republicans Break With Trump

The House of Representatives passed its sixth war powers resolution aimed at Iran on a 220-204 vote Tuesday night, and for the first time three additional House Republicans crossed party lines to support it.

Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and Zach Nunn of Iowa joined four Republicans who had already broken with Trump on the issue: Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, according to Fox News Digital. All 213 voting Democrats backed the measure, sponsored by Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, voted against it alongside 203 other House Republicans.

Miller-Meeks told reporters, according to the Guardian, that she said in March the mission needed to stay "focused and limited" and that she would not vote to keep troops in an open-ended war "with Iowans paying too much at the pump." Nunn, who has flown more than 700 combat hours in the Middle East, said his state has "already paid a devastating price," with two Iowans among the American troops killed since the war began. Barrett told Fox News Digital he has been consistent since the original 60-day war powers window lapsed months ago.

The resolution marks the sixth attempt by House Democrats to force a withdrawal vote since the U.S. joined Israel in striking Iran in late February. Only one previous attempt, in June, cleared both chambers, and Trump ignored it, according to the Guardian. The White House has argued the president is acting within his constitutional authority as commander in chief and that the resolution would improperly limit his ability to protect U.S. forces.

The same day, according to the Guardian, a House Republican who lost his primary this year after repeatedly clashing with Trump introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging a range of constitutional violations including prosecuting the Iran war without congressional authorization. The prospects for that effort are unclear, and it has not been scheduled for a vote.

Trump's Position on the Ground

The rebellion comes as the Wall Street Journal reported, and Breitbart relayed, that Trump rejected Iran's proposal for a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and told aides he expects U.S. strikes to resume after the November midterms. Trump posted an image on Truth Social labeling the strait "TRUMP STRAIT."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said publicly Friday that Tehran had offered Washington a "concrete seven-day plan" through Qatar. The U.S. would lift its naval blockade, waive oil sanctions, release frozen assets and observe a ceasefire on all fronts including Lebanon, in exchange for Iran reopening the strait and beginning nuclear talks. Araghchi said the clock would start only once Washington accepted, and that Iran could reopen the strait within six days of acceptance.

U.S. officials told the Journal that Washington has no intention of lifting the blockade and is betting economic pressure will eventually force Iran to accept terms favorable to the U.S. and Gulf Arab states. Officials also said Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes, in part because the administration wants to preserve munitions for other contingencies, and that his position could shift depending on the midterm results. A U.S. official described the indirect talks through mediators as "positive" and "constructive."

The Midterm Backdrop

Trump is set to open his October campaign travel with rallies in Durant, Oklahoma, on October 1 and Mobile, Alabama, on October 2, according to Daily Wire, in two states he carried by roughly two-to-one margins in 2024. People familiar with his plans told Politico he is also expected to campaign in Iowa, Florida, Texas and Alaska, and he has pledged to appear in 35 of the most competitive House and Senate races before Election Day.

That defensive posture tracks with new CNN/SSRS polling showing only 27% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the economy and 26% approve of his handling of the Iran war, with three-quarters saying he lacks a clear plan to end the conflict. Mortgage rates rose above 7% this week, according to CNN. Two-thirds of respondents called the economy "extremely important" to their vote in November.

Daily Signal contributor Victor Davis Hanson cautioned that Democratic confidence may be overstated, pointing to recent primary polling misses in Michigan and Wisconsin, and noting Republicans are hoping momentum from the Supreme Court's ruling against race-based congressional maps in some states will help them, though no analysis yet quantifies the effect.

The unresolved question is whether Trump follows through on his stated intent to resume strikes after the midterms, and whether that timeline shifts again depending on how vulnerable Republicans like Miller-Meeks, Nunn and Mace fare on Election Day in a war their own voters increasingly want ended.