As hostilities with Iran enter their sixth month, Republicans are showing little appetite for forcing President Donald Trump to seek congressional authorization for the war, instead embracing a legal argument that could keep U.S. military operations going well beyond the War Powers Resolution’s 90-day limit.
The 90-day deadline for Trump to obtain congressional approval has long since passed. But most Republicans are accepting the administration’s argument that a weekslong ceasefire reset the clock by creating a new conflict — a position that Democrats say is little more than an attempt to sidestep Congress.
One prominent Republican, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, put it succinctly: Republicans are just trying to give Trump “flexibility” right now.
That flexibility rests on the administration’s claim that renewed fighting is legally distinct from the war Trump launched in February. Under that theory, Trump would get another 90 days to wage war without congressional authorization — and could potentially reset the clock again if there’s another ceasefire at some point.
It’s a tenuous argument, and one that could have future implications long after Trump has left office. But so far, many Republicans approached by MS NOW are buying it.
“Hostilities had ceased, so now hostilities have restarted,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told MS NOW. “I think the president’s within the law.”
“We had a peace agreement that was called a ‘memo of understanding’ and a ceasefire, so the war was over at that point,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said. “So I assume that another 90 days can kick in.”
Grassley argued that resetting the clock wasn’t “anything different than what Obama did in Libya.” (The Obama administration argued in 2011 that the War Powers Act didn’t apply to hostilities in Libya because the U.S. was playing a supporting role for a NATO-led mission — a legal rationale that drew bipartisan criticism at the time.)
This time, however, Republicans generally have no problem with Trump’s argument.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he was not bothered by the 90-day clock restarting.
“I think they want to bring this to a close, and I want to bring it to a close. So I want to support all efforts to bring it to a close,” Hawley said.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., also told MS NOW he accepted the argument, though he admitted “it’s a judgment call.”
“I’m hopeful that we do get back to the peace table,” Van Drew added.
The White House sent a letter to Congress 10 days ago alerting lawmakers that military action had “commenced on July 7, 2026, against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The bombing campaign has since stretched for several days, and at least three more U.S. service members have been killed.
The July 10 presidential letter mirrors a similar letter Trump sent Congress at the beginning of March regarding the start of the war, which kicked off the initial 90-day clock.
While Republicans want to give Trump plenty of leeway to conduct the war, some GOP lawmakers have expressed criticism — but not of the president sidestepping Congress.
Instead, Republicans appeared more likely to criticize Trump for agreeing to a ceasefire than for continuing attacks without an Authorization for Use of Military Force.
Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama — the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee — told MS NOW that he believed “the president should have continued what he was doing until we had a document signed and a deal done.”
“I’ve never trusted them and I still don’t,” Rogers said of Iran.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., agreed. “We should have never stopped the war,” he said.
When MS NOW pressed McCormick on whether it was time for Congress to declare war or authorize the conflict, he said he would “love” if lawmakers took that step. But he dismissed concerns about the 90-day restriction.
“You can talk procedural all you want to. This is survival for me,” McCormick said.
Of course, not every Republican is embracing the administration’s legal argument.
Asked if he viewed the new presidential letter as a White House attempt to secure itself another 90 days — and whether he was comfortable with such a move — Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he wouldn’t comment.
And Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — who has repeatedly voted with Democrats to limit the president’s war powers — dismissed the idea of the 90-day clock restarting. In fact, he accused the Trump administration of “breaking the law.”
“You can’t do this in a Super Bowl. You can’t run four quarters and then say, ‘Oh, we’re starting the clock and we get four more quarters,’” Massie said. “It doesn’t work that way anywhere.”
Massie argued that the Trump administration needed “a positive affirmation from Congress” in order to keep the conflict going. “Like they got in Iraq twice and Afghanistan once,” Massie said.
Democrats largely agree.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told MS NOW that Trump is now “breaking the law,” noting that the president was “way outside” the time period when he can act without congressional sign-off.
Now, as the Trump administration barrels ahead with the war, Democrats are scrambling for leverage to rein in the conflict.
On June 23, senators adopted a resolution already approved by the House calling for an end to hostilities. But the enforceability of that measure, which did not require a presidential signature, remains in question.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York — the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, who spearheaded the war powers resolution — told MS NOW that he has “got lawyers looking to see if there’s a lawsuit that we could bring” to ensure the measure is enforced.
But many Democrats are turning their focus to other options, including the annual defense policy bill — the National Defense Authorization Act — as well as the appropriations process.
“We may still do some more war powers resolution votes,” Kaine said, “but I think the main move now is in the appropriations, NDAA space.”
Meeks put it simply: Invoking Congress’ power over federal spending was the best avenue.
“That’s where the power lies,” he said.
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