Iran

A Few Republicans Think War With Iran Is a Bad Idea

"I mean, look, America is a republic, not an empire," Rep. Warren Davidson said on Monday. It's time for Congress to act like it.

Eric Boehm | 3.3.2026 5:00 PM

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(Credits: Andrew Thomas - CNP/Sipa USA/UPI/MAXPPP/Michael Brochstein/Newscom)

As Congress returns to session this week amid a new conflict in the Middle East, a crucial question hangs over Washington: Who gets to decide when America's military can be sent to war?

The Constitution says that only Congress has that power, with limited exceptions. In the four days after hostilities began, the Trump administration has struggled to articulate whether any of those exceptions apply to this situation. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called this a "war," undermining the argument that it's a different kind of military action that doesn't require congressional authorization. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others have said the strikes against Iran........

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