‘Cowardly’: Democrats Condemn House Republicans for Abruptly Calling Off War Powers Vote

(SeaPRwire) –   Democrats leveled sharp criticism at House Republicans after the party abruptly scrapped a planned war powers vote intended to end the conflict in Iran unless President Donald Trump secures congressional authorization.

“We had the votes needed to pass it today. Every Democrat was on board, and we had enough Republican lawmakers on our side,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who sponsored the resolution and serves as the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“Let’s be clear: Republicans called off this vote because they knew they would lose. They recognize this war is a political and strategic disaster,” he later added.

According to Meeks, the vote must take place in accordance with procedural rules when lawmakers return following the Memorial Day recess in early June.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters the vote had been postponed to give absent lawmakers time to return and take part. House Speaker Mike Johnson was reportedly unresponsive to media questions as he left the House chamber.

The postponement has sparked fierce pushback from Democrats.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar called Republican leadership “cowardly” and accused them of failing the country.

“For nearly three months, Donald Trump has dragged America and our men and women in uniform into a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” they said in a joint statement.

They argued the conflict has dragged on “without clear goals, an exit plan, public backing, or the authorization required by the U.S. Congress.”

“Republicans cowardly scrapped a scheduled vote on a war powers resolution—legislation that would have passed with bipartisan support and required the president to end the conflict in the Middle East,” the Democratic leaders added.

Democrats framed this decision as proof that Johnson lacked the support needed to back Trump’s war effort, pointing to growing divisions within the GOP.

“Speaker Johnson just canceled a vote on the Iran war powers resolution because he knows a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives would have voted to end President Trump’s unlawful war in Iran,” argued Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota. “The speaker’s cowardly decision is a total failure of leadership.” 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington called the move “shameful” and “a ridiculous legislative gimmick,” while vowing to “keep pressing” for the resolution to pass once Congress reconvenes.

“Congress cannot be a rubber stamp as President Trump draws us further into an unlawful war in Iran with no clear end in sight. Our troops and our country deserve better,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.

Earlier this year, the House voted to block three war powers resolutions with near-unanimous support from Republican lawmakers.

But that steadfast support has since shifted amid rising concerns over the cost of the Iran war and public frustration over how the Trump administration is handling the economy. 

The House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution last week in a 212-212 tie after three Republicans—Rep. Tom Barrett of Michigan, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky—aligned themselves with Democrats.

Earlier this week, the Senate voted to advance a separate war powers resolution after four Republican senators joined Democrats in supporting the measure.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky—all of whom had previously voted in favor of the resolution—were joined by Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

Cassidy, who was defeated days prior in a competitive Republican primary after Trump endorsed an opposing candidate, said that “the administration has provided no clarity—no congressional authorization or extension can be justified.”

Even if the resolution ultimately passes both chambers, the path to full approval faces additional hurdles, as Trump is expected to veto the measure.

Amid slumping approval ratings, Trump paused “a planned military strike” on Iran earlier this week, noting he was holding back at the request of Gulf leaders.

But he told military officials to “be prepared to launch a full, large-scale assault on Iran at a moment’s notice if an acceptable deal is not reached.”

Currently, Washington and Tehran remain at a stalemate as peace talks have stalled. 

Disagreements over Iran’s nuclear capabilities and how the Strait of Hormuz should be managed moving forward remain key obstacles. 

Meanwhile, the Iran war is growing increasingly unpopular among Americans amid a worsening global energy crisis sparked by the ongoing disruption of the Strait, which has pushed gas prices higher across the U.S.

An AP-NORC poll released on May 20 found that 64% of Americans said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran policy.

Similarly, a New York Times/Siena poll conducted between May 11 and 15 found that 65% of American respondents said they somewhat or strongly disapproved of the way Trump has handled the war in Iran.