Republicans stand by Trump’s war against Iran and reject the role of war power for Congress

WASHINGTON – Republican lawmakers said Tuesday after classified briefings on Capitol Hill that they do not intend to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to continue the war in Iran, although some said sending ground troops would be a step too far.

Democrats argued that military and administration officials did not share clear goals or exit strategies for the war, making debate and a vote in Congress more critical.

“If there is no solid plan … you end up with endless war, with mission creep, with all sorts of problems,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “What is really needed is a public debate so that the American people, who are already very opposed to it, can see what we have seen.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said during an afternoon news conference before the briefing that he did not believe Congress would have to declare or authorize war.

“No, I think the president has the authority he needs to carry out the activities and operations that are currently underway there,” he said. “As you know, there is a lot of controversy and questions about the War Powers Act. But I think the president is acting in the best interest of the nation and our national security interests by ensuring that he protects Americans and American bases and facilities in this region, as well as those of our allies.”

Lawmakers received closed-door briefings from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe.

Tim Kaine and Rand Paul push for vote on war powers

The Senate is expected to vote on it on Wednesday a war powers resolution Co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the administration would be directed to “exclude the armed forces of the United States from hostilities within or against Iran unless specifically authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for the use of military force.”

The House will vote later this week, likely on Thursday, on a similar proposal from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the effort doesn’t have the support it needs to be effective.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said as he left the afternoon briefing that the Trump administration would not rule out operations on the ground.

Wicker said he does not believe Congress needs to authorize U.S. troops in Iran, but declined to answer a question about why he believes the president has the authority for a ground war that has not been authorized by lawmakers.

A report of the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service notes that while Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, that power has “been heavily debated.”

“The Supreme Court has held that only Congress has the authority to declare war, but the implications of this exclusive mandate are not clearly understood,” the report said. “In particular, the relationship between Congress’s power to declare war and the President’s war powers under Article II of the Constitution is the subject of considerable disagreement.”

“This is a massive operation that is changing rapidly.”

Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said he doesn’t believe “the American people want to see troops on the ground. I don’t think that’s the case. And while they’ve left that possibility open, it doesn’t seem to be something they’re emphasizing.”

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he believes Congress needs to authorize U.S. troops on the ground in Iran, something he is unlikely to support.

“It’s hard for me to imagine a scenario where I would do that,” he said.

Hawley said the classified briefing left the impression that the Trump administration’s war on Iran will continue for some time.

“I think there’s going to be a lot more going on because one of the things I took away from this is that it’s a massive operation that’s changing rapidly,” he said.

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said it was “an important briefing we had today, and it’s a situation that is clearly rapidly evolving.”

North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven declined to answer a question about whether he would support Trump’s sending of U.S. troops to Iran.

“Well, again, that is an option and if and when it came to pass, we could address it at that time,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s any sign of that at this point.”

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Hegseth would “not limit any options for the president” when asked about the possibility of U.S. troops in Iran.

Mullin called Congress’ role in authorizing the administration’s offensive in Iran “questionable.”

“We are not going to strip the president of the United States of his authority to be commander in chief. … We don’t need 535 commanders,” Mullin said.

Lindsey Graham ‘never felt better about how this was going to end’

Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, said the level of interceptor stockpiles was a “big problem.”

“We don’t have an unlimited supply and the Iranians have the ability to produce a lot of Shahed drones, medium and short-range ballistic missiles. And they have a huge supply,” Kelly said. “At some point, and we’re probably already there, this will become a mathematical problem. And how can we resupply air defense ammunition? Where will they come from? How does this affect other locations?”

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from Indo-Pacific Command, Kelly said, for example, would make troops in that region of the world “more vulnerable.”

“We don’t have an unlimited supply. They shoot a lot of stuff,” he said. “Certainly the number has decreased somewhat over time. But the calculation of this seems to be a problem at the moment.”

Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the administration has not yet asked Congress to provide additional funding for the war.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., left the briefing saying he had “never felt better about how this is going to turn out.”

Graham said he had spoken to Arab leaders by phone earlier in the day and “they will intervene in the fight in a more direct way.”

Graham also spoke directly to the cameras, in case Trump was watching, to encourage the president to join Israel in bombing Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

“Destroy not only the mother ship Iran, but also Hezbollah’s proxy. Pay the score,” Graham said.

Mike Johnson defends Trump’s constitutional authority

Johnson said Trump seized “a narrow and unique opportunity” to act They are attacking Iran this weekendand that he “was within his constitutional authority to do what he did.”

“We had a (Department of Justice) attorney here tonight who said it very well and very clearly – narrowly missing out on citing the specific case law – but explained that this has been a tradition for decades.”

Johnson said the US’s joint war with Israel in Iran has been “very effective so far” and called the proposed War Powers Resolution “dangerous.”

The U.S. mission in Iran “must be completed,” he said. “We don’t need Congress standing in the way of this.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-R-S.C., who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said she is a “no” vote for now on the vote on the Wars Powers Resolution later this week.

“But if this thing goes on for more than a few weeks, I’m going to be a lot more concerned,” Mace said, adding that the matter locally “would be a whole different conversation.”

“That’s not the state we’re in today. I didn’t hear that in the briefing,” Mace said, withering to provide further details from the secret meeting. “I feel very good and very confident about where we are in this conflict just over 100 hours into the strike.”