The House is expected to vote Thursday on a war powers resolution that would require Congressional approval before President Trump orders further military action against Iran, following U.S.-Israel strikes on the country. The bipartisan measure, sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, has support from Democrats and some Republicans, though House Speaker Mike Johnson is urging Republicans to vote against it. With a slim House majority, Johnson can afford to lose only one vote, and Trump retains veto power even if the resolution passes. Separately, an Iranian official has stated that Iran will not negotiate with the United States.
Congress is set to vote this week on bipartisan war powers resolutions in both the House and Senate that would require congressional approval before further U.S. military action in Iran, invoking the 1973 War Powers Resolution. The votes come after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran over the weekend, resulting in the first American casualties. The measures face significant obstacles, as most Republicans are expected to back Trump, and overriding a potential presidential veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers. Similar war powers efforts have previously failed, and passage remains uncertain, with some Democrats also signaling opposition to the resolutions.
Following U.S. strikes on Iran ordered by President Trump, Congressional Democrats and a small number of Republicans are demanding Congress reconvene immediately to hold a formal vote on the military action, arguing Trump acted illegally without congressional authorization. Votes already scheduled for midweek would require congressional approval for military action against Iran, with Republicans Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, and Warren Davidson joining Democrats in opposing the strikes as unconstitutional. Even if such a measure passes, it would face a likely presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority to override — making it more of a symbolic rebuke than a practical constraint on Trump's actions. The majority of Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have publicly praised the strikes.
Representative Joaquin Castro spoke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict, arguing that Congress should not be kept "on the sidelines" during the crisis. Castro discussed the possibility of a vote on President Trump's war powers resolution, emphasizing the importance of congressional involvement in decisions related to military action against Iran.
U.S. forces, in coordination with Israel, launched strikes against Iran in an operation called "Operation Epic Fury," with President Trump announcing the attacks via social media in the early hours of Saturday morning, citing the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump later claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the strikes. Democratic lawmakers responded by calling for an immediate congressional vote on a War Powers Resolution, arguing the strikes were unconstitutional and unauthorized by Congress, while Republican leaders largely expressed support for the action. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as illegal aggression, noting they occurred during ongoing diplomatic talks, and vowed a military response.
Congress is divided over the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, with Republican senators defending the strikes while Democrats criticized them as a "war of choice" conducted without congressional approval or public justification. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed killed, and three U.S. service members have died in the operation so far. President Trump indicated openness to talks with Iran's remaining leadership, even as a second day of strikes and Iranian missile counterattacks escalated the conflict. Trump also appeared to connect his decision to launch the attack to his disputed 2020 election loss claims, citing alleged Iranian interference in that election.
The United States, alongside Israel, has carried out sustained military strikes against Iran, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in what legal analysts argue lacks justification under international law. The attacks do not meet the established criteria for lawful self-defense — which requires an imminent, unavoidable armed attack — particularly given that Iran's intercontinental ballistic missile capability was still years away and diplomatic negotiations had reportedly yielded concessions on Iran's nuclear program. At an emergency UN Security Council session, international condemnation was limited, with most states stopping short of explicitly labeling the strikes a violation of the prohibition on the use of force. Legal scholars warn that the attacks, combined with prior U.S. actions in Venezuela and threats toward Greenland, set dangerous precedents that could erode the rules-based international order and undermine efforts to oppose future aggression by other powers.
A $305 million jury verdict was awarded to 16 Oregon wildfire survivors represented by Susman Godfrey and co-counsel firms, who alleged that utility company PacifiCorp's negligence caused their losses in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires; PacifiCorp is appealing the decision. Judge Aileen Cannon permanently blocked the public release of Volume II of Jack Smith's special counsel report on the classified documents case, ruling the motions unopposed and accusing Smith of a "brazen stratagem" in completing the report after her dismissal of the case. Legal experts have questioned the scope of Cannon's authority to suppress the report given that the underlying criminal case is now closed, and advocacy groups are appealing her denial of their motion to intervene to the Eleventh Circuit.
Federal Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, told CBS News' 60 Minutes that he has received dozens to hundreds of death threats following his ruling that President Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship was "blatantly unconstitutional." Coughenour described incidents including an armed swatting hoax at his home and a bomb threat, as well as a congressional "wanted" poster featuring his image. The judge, who has served on the bench for 44 years and previously required protection after sentencing an Al Qaeda bomber, said he has never experienced hostility toward the judiciary at this level before. CBS News spoke with 26 federal judges for the story, though Coughenour was among the few willing to speak on the record.
Donald Trump has been appointing individuals who support his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election to key government positions. Among those cited are former advisor Steve Bannon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, both prominent supporters of the narrative that the 2020 election was "stolen." Critics warn that installing such figures in positions of power could further erode public trust in the electoral process and democratic institutions.
A public dispute erupted between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked a supply chain risk designation — typically used against foreign adversaries — to terminate Anthropic's government contracts and restrict other defense contractors from working with the company. The conflict stems from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's refusal to allow its AI products to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons, conditions the Trump administration rejected. Anthropic, which faces the loss of up to a $200 million Pentagon contract, has vowed to challenge the designation in court, arguing the action is legally unsound and unprecedented against a U.S. company. OpenAI quickly moved to fill the void by striking a deal with the Pentagon that, notably, includes similar safety restrictions to those Anthropic had demanded.
Following U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend, Republican lawmakers pressured Democrats to pass a DHS funding bill, arguing that elevated national security threats made the agency's partial shutdown dangerous. GOP representatives Mike Lawler and Steve Scalise cited the Iran strikes and an FBI counterterrorism alert as reasons for Democrats to drop their opposition to the funding measure. Democrats have withheld support for the bill pending policy changes at DHS, including restrictions on immigration agents, following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy rejected the Republican framing, stating he saw no obligation to fund an agency he accused of "violating the law" simply because of the military action against Iran.
