Lone Democrat—Jared Golden—Helps GOP Tank Another Iran War Powers Resolution

With the decisive support of one Democrat—Rep. Jared Golden of Maine—the Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday voted down a war powers resolution aimed at ending President Donald Trump's illegal assault on Iran, over six weeks after it began.

The final vote was 213-214, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joining nearly every House Democrat in supporting the resolution, which would have forced Trump to withdraw American troops from hostilities in Iran absent congressional authorization. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) voted present and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) didn't vote, despite criticizing the war and telling reporters last month that she would "most likely" support the Democratic resolution.

In the lead-up to Thursday's vote, Democratic leaders—including the resolution's chief sponsor, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York—faced backlash for slowwalking the legislative effort to end the war even as it appeared that momentum was on their side. Earlier this month, the House Democratic leadership opted to punt the war powers vote until after spring recess, during which the Trump administration and Iran's government reached a tenuous ceasefire deal.

Three of the four House Democrats who voted against an Iran war powers resolution in early March flipped their votes on Thursday: Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Greg Landsman of Ohio, and Juan Vargas of California. Golden, who also voted against the earlier resolution, is not running for reelection.

"While we are encouraged to see growing support," said Demand Progress senior policy adviser Cavan Kharrazian, "it is deeply disappointing that Rep. Golden joined Republicans in opposing efforts to stop further escalation, casting a decisive vote against the resolution."

"Democratic leadership’s handling of this moment is also concerning," said Kharrazian. "They previously declined to force a war powers vote before a critical period of escalation before recess, citing a lack of votes. Now they have moved forward under less favorable conditions, including during sensitive ceasefire negotiations, but still without the votes they previously claimed were necessary before proceeding, and with a changed balance in the House. That inconsistency raises a serious question about what is driving leadership’s priorities: strategy or politics."

"We urge members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to support sustained diplomatic efforts to resolve this conflict," Kharrazian added. "The American people overwhelmingly reject this war and want a diplomatic end to it.”

The House voted marked the sixth time an Iran-related war powers resolution has failed in the House or Senate since Trump started bombing on February 28.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said Thursday that he supported the war powers effort on Thursday because "Trump’s war of choice was not authorized by Congress, was started without a plan or an exit strategy, and has achieved none of the contradictory objectives used to justify it."

"Trump’s war in Iran is deeply unpopular," Pocan added, "and it’s time to end what never should have started."

Ryan Costello, policy director with the National Iranian American Council, said in a statement that "the narrow defeat of a resolution to definitively end the war on Iran is another tragic missed opportunity, but the gap between public opposition to the war and votes to end it is narrowing."

"All but one House Democrat voted unanimously in support of the resolution but were joined by just one Republican," said Costello. "Golden will need to answer to his Maine constituents, many of whom are veterans and pro-peace Americans who question why Washington so consistently sends brave servicemembers into ill-advised, disastrous wars of choice that kill civilians and sabotage the global economy. So too do all of the Republicans who chose again not to use their power to convince President Trump to take an off-ramp and end this disastrous war that puts Benjamin Netanyahu’s dreams, not the American people and American security, first."