OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:15 PM – Thursday, April 16, 2026
The House of Representatives narrowly blocked a Democrat-led effort to halt U.S. military operations against Iran on Thursday. The 213-214 vote represents a victory for President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign and a major hurdle for those seeking to reassert congressional oversight on foreign interventions.
The Democrat-backed measure to restrain Trump’s ability to conduct strikes on Iran has once again fallen short in the House of Representatives — following Trump’s Wednesday remarks regarding the U.S. -Iran conflict being “very close to over.”
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Lawmakers voted 213-to-214 against approving the resolution that was initially presented by Representative Gregory Meeks, (D-N.Y.) The resolution would have required President Trump to end military operations against Iran unless Congress formally authorized them. Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans against the measure.
“This is not a skirmish. This is not a military operation. This is a war,” Meeks said Thursday. “Now we’re not the Iranian parliament, and we should not be rubber stamps.”
With only a two-vote margin for error, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had to maintain near-total party unity to defeat the measure along party lines. However, the resolutions are largely symbolic, as the president would likely veto the measure if it were to reach his desk.
Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has continuously called on Congress to end the United States’ involvement in the Iran conflict, was the only Republican to back the resolution. Representative Warren Davidson (R-Ohio.) voted present.
The failed vote came only a day after a similar resolution failed in the Senate when Republicans overwhelmingly blocked a war powers resolution in a 47-52 vote. House Republicans, however, are largely supporting the president and argue that a successful war powers resolution would weaken his position.
“This has been the most successful military operation considering the breadth, the depth, the scope of the enemy that’s involved and the danger that they presented not only to the U.S. homeland and the U.S. military personnel, but to the entire region and world,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, (R-Minn.) told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
“I believe we will be rewarded for the president’s efforts,” he added.
Despite this, congressional Democrats are continuing pressing for votes to end the conflict, which they say is putting more pressure on Republicans to break with Trump and his administration.
“We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Senator Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.) told reporters.
Trump has until April 28th before Congress will be forced to consider a prolonged military campaign. The War Powers Act requires both chambers to authorize or block the use of force once combat has hit the 60-day mark. The Trump administration would have 30 days to withdraw in the event that Congress were to vote to end the conflict.
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