How Trump Sidelined Congress on Iran War: A 75-Year Trend

U.S. House Republicans have postponed a hearing scheduled for April 21, 2026, that was intended to question top Pentagon officials regarding the war in Iran. The hearing would have featured testimony from Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of U.S. Africa Command.

Adam Smith, the top Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, noted that the U.S. is six weeks into the conflict without a public briefing from the administration. While the operation is currently in a ceasefire, the results remain unclear and the war has seen low approval ratings.

The postponement is part of a broader trend of legislative deference. Most Republicans have blocked Democratic efforts to exercise constitutional authority over the conflict, including the recent Senate rejection of a war powers resolution.

Executive Authority and the War in Iran

Under Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the power to declare war. However, the 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the president to inform Congress within 48 hours of initiating military action and seek authorization if operations exceed 60 days.

The second Trump administration has deviated from previous standards. In a message to Congress on March 2, 2026, President Trump did not acknowledge the War Powers Resolution or the Constitution.

Instead, the president has relied on executive orders to deploy military power. This approach has granted the administration significant freedom regarding the duration and tools of the conflict, including the deployment of an additional carrier group and thousands of U.S. troops to the region.

Historical Precedents of War Powers

Historically, presidents such as Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt obtained formal congressional declarations of war within days or hours. However, since the Korean War, there has been a shift toward executive autonomy.

President Truman bypassed Congress during the Korean War, instead seeking authorization via United Nations Security Council Resolution 84, characterizing the combat operations as a “police action.”

Similarly, President Lyndon Johnson used the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam. This resolution provided a vague authorization to engage militarily, significantly increasing presidential freedom and reducing oversight.

Current events reflect this historical pattern of presidents acting unilaterally and Congress declining to assert its authority. This has left open questions regarding the political objectives of the current war in Iran and the reasons for the continued lack of congressional intervention.