Two House members from the New York and New Jersey corridor are breaking with a bipartisan push to rein in presidential authority over Iran, tightening an already narrow vote count as Congress heads back to Washington. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said Friday they will oppose a war powers resolution that would limit the president's ability to order strikes on Iran, setting up a high-stakes floor showdown next week over who calls the shots on future military action against Tehran.
As first reported by Axios, Gottheimer and Lawler said in a joint statement that they "oppose the Massie-Khanna War Powers Resolution to prohibit the use of force against Iran" and argued the text would curb the U.S. ability to respond to shifting threats. The pair stressed that they "respect and defend Congress's constitutional role in matters of war" yet warned that sweeping limits could tie the hands of commanders. Axios also noted that their announcement follows earlier support for joint operations and recent policy work focused on countering Iran's nuclear ambitions.
What the Khanna-Massie Measure Would Do
The Khanna-Massie resolution, H.Con.Res.38, would direct the president to end any unauthorized hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly signs off on further action. Its sponsors say it would still allow defensive responses and intelligence cooperation, framing it as a reset of the legal limits rather than a blanket ban on reacting to attacks.
Introduced in June 2025, H.Con.Res.38 is written as a privileged measure under House rules, which means it can be brought to the floor without a committee vote once the statutory waiting period runs out. The full bill text is posted on Congress.gov, and the sponsors laid out their case in a detailed press release from Rep. Ro Khanna's office.
Why Gottheimer and Lawler Say No
Gottheimer and Lawler insist the resolution goes too far at the wrong moment. They argue it would "restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats" and could "risk signaling weakness" to adversaries, according to the statement first obtained by Axios. The lawmakers warned that "so long as 'death to America' remains the rallying cry of the Iranian regime, Iran will remain a persistent and serious threat," casting their opposition as both a national security hedge and a way of protecting Congress's say in war.
The duo has already planted a flag on Iran policy this term. In July, they rolled out a bipartisan "Bunker Buster Act" to equip Israel with munitions and delivery systems aimed at countering Iran's nuclear program, according to a release from Rep. Gottheimer's office.
Political Math And The Ticking Clock
Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie are not waiting on party leaders to bless their effort. They plan to force a floor vote on H.Con.Res.38 next week using a discharge-style maneuver that can sidestep House leadership, Fox News reported.
The timing is not subtle. Recent reporting has suggested a potential strike window is close, with a senior White House adviser quoted as saying there is a high probability of kinetic action in the coming weeks. The president, for his part, has warned Iran that "you're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days," according to coverage by the Washington Examiner and ABC News.
How The Parliamentary Maneuver Works
Under the War Powers framework, resolutions like H.Con.Res.38 are treated as privileged. Once the 15-day window has elapsed, any member backing the measure can move to bring it directly to the floor, a tactic Khanna and Massie say they will use when the House reconvenes, according to a sponsors' release from Rep. Khanna's office.
Privilege, however, is not a magic wand. Any discharge effort or final passage still needs a simple majority, and in a closely divided House a few defections or absences can flip the outcome. The mechanics and text of the resolution are laid out in that press release and the official entry on Congress.gov.
With the authors promising a floor push and two influential regional lawmakers breaking ranks, the coming vote will serve as an early test of whether Congress is ready to reassert its war-making authority or once again defer to the White House as tensions with Iran climb. Members will return to Washington under a tight timeline, and the roll calls that follow could shape how far future presidents can go on use-of-force decisions without a green light from Capitol Hill.
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