Moderate Republicans Back War in Iran Despite Democratic Midterm Threats

House Republicans largely opposed a resolution Thursday to limit U.S. hostilities in Iran, even as Democrats vow to make them pay in the November midterms.

The war powers resolution, led by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, called for an immediate halt to U.S. hostilities in Iran. The measure failed Thursday 212-219. Two Republicans — Massie and Rep. Warren Davidson — supported the measure and four Democrats opposed it: Reps. Greg Landsman, Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden and Juan Vargas.

Rep. Don Bacon, who previously joined Democrats in supporting war powers efforts, did not vote for the measure this time.

Supporters of the resolution argued that the vote was necessary to force Congress to weigh in after President Donald Trump launched strikes on Iranian targets without seeking authorization from lawmakers. Critics said the resolution was too sweeping and would force the administration to withdraw from Iran, with the conflict already days underway.

Those who opposed the resolution will now need to justify a costly, lethal and unpopular war in Iran during a midterm year. As the GOP tries to emphasize an economic message about bringing down the cost of living, Democrats will almost certainly attack their opponents supporting conflict in the Middle East that lacks a clear endgame.

“There is certainly a concern about getting embroiled in another forever war in the Middle East, and so we have to be very cautious that that does not occur,” Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican from Pennsylvania, told NOTUS of what he has heard from constituents.

Mackenzie said he understood the administration’s objective to take out Iranian military capabilities and opposed the war powers resolution.

“We are going to be staying on top of it, making sure this doesn’t expand into a larger conflict,” he said.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania whose seat is vulnerable, acknowledged Congress’ constitutional role in declaring war after the U.S. attacked Iran, but he ultimately opposed the war powers resolution. He emphasized the need for congressional involvement should the war drag on.

“Any sustained or expanded military engagement should be done with the advice and consent of Congress,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “The American people deserve clarity of mission, defined objectives, and disciplined oversight.”

Despite those concerns about the conflict ballooning, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s chair, Rep. Richard Hudson, told NOTUS, “That’s not part of my calculus” when asked if he’s concerned about the political fallout with war-weary voters back home if he voted against the resolution.

There’s a political case for Republicans to back up Trump. The president has long threatened to withdraw his endorsement or fund primary challenges to lawmakers who stand in the way of his agenda. Objecting to Trump now would come with its own political liability.

The House vote came one day after the Senate rejected its own bipartisan Iran war powers effort, a 47-53 vote that left Trump’s current campaign intact.

Trump has signaled that the operation could stretch well beyond the administration’s early timeline of four to five weeks. U.S. Central Command said six U.S. service members have been killed in action as of Monday afternoon, and Trump has said more American deaths are likely before the conflict ends.

Multiple polls released this week found that a majority of voters disapprove of Trump’s attack on Iran. Top Democrats sense political opportunity.

“We’ve seen Republicans, led by Donald Trump, pledging America into another endless conflict in the Middle East, spending billions of dollars to bomb Iran,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Thursday. “But they can’t find a dime to make it more affordable for the American people to go see a doctor when they need one.”

Party leaders and many progressives backed the Massie-Khanna resolution. Some moderate Democrats, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, signaled before the weekend strike that they were reluctant to support the measure, then changed course and voted in favor on Thursday.

“Congress is on the verge of irrelevancy,” Moskowitz said in a statement on X explaining his change in position. “We have done this to ourselves, and no one is coming to save us if we don’t show some sign of life.”

A group of six centrist House Democrats, including Gottheimer, rolled out an alternative war powers proposal that would require U.S. military operations in Iran to end within 30 days unless Congress authorizes them.

Democrats in vulnerable seats breaking with their party present a potentially awkward challenge for Democratic leadership looking to hammer Republican targets for making the same vote.

Axios reported Wednesday that progressive groups, irate about these Democrats supporting Trump’s campaign in Iran, are threatening primary challenges.

“Any Democrat that votes against war powers is supporting Trump’s war on Iran and deserves to be primaried because all voters across the political spectrum are wholeheartedly against it,” Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi told Axios.

Rep. Greg Landsman, a vulnerable Democrat from Ohio, was unmoved by the threats, voting against the war powers resolution, anyway.

“The U.S. is destroying Iran’s missiles and bombs to stop them from taking more lives,” he said on social media after the strike.