Republicans back Trump’s legal theory to continue the Iran war without congressional approval

Key Points:

• As U.S. hostilities with Iran enter their sixth month, most Republicans support President Trump’s administration argument that a ceasefire reset the War Powers Resolution’s 90-day limit, allowing continued military action without new congressional authorization.
• This legal rationale, which treats renewed fighting as a new conflict granting another 90-day period, is accepted by many GOP lawmakers as providing the president necessary "flexibility," despite Democrats' claims it sidesteps Congress.
• Some Republicans criticize Trump not for bypassing Congress but for agreeing to ceasefires, arguing that military operations should continue until a formal peace deal is signed.
• A minority of Republicans, including Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Tom Cotton, reject the clock-reset argument, insisting that continued military action requires explicit congressional approval, a view shared by Democrats who accuse Trump of breaking the law.
• Democrats are pursuing legislative strategies to limit the war, focusing on war powers resolutions and leveraging Congress’s control over defense spending through the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations processes.