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Congress returns to divisions over Iran strike amid budget battles

16 11
23.06.2025

Congress is returning to Washington this week amid deep divisions over the U.S.’s strike on Iranian nuclear facilities and the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill,” setting the stage for a high-stakes stretch on both the foreign and domestic policy fronts.

On Iran, lawmakers are at odds over whether the attack on the three nuclear facilities was the correct decision, and if President Trump was within his constitutional right to execute the effort without approval from Congress. Republicans have largely backed the move while most Democrats are criticizing it, though there are outliers on both sides of the aisle.

All senators are scheduled to receive a briefing on Iran on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.

On the megabill, meanwhile, a divided GOP is entering a pivotal week for the legislation, which could make-or-break whether congressional leaders can meet their goal of enacting the sprawling package by July 4. Senate leaders are aiming to bring the legislation to the floor by midweek.

Also this week, the House is kicking off the government funding process for fiscal year 2026 with a vote on a bill to fund military construction, the Veterans Affairs Department and related agencies, the first in an effort that is poised to quickly become a fierce fight on Capitol Hill. And the lower chamber will vote on resolutions to condemn the protests in Los Angeles and the shootings of Minnesota state legislators earlier this month.

Congress returns to Washington after U.S. strike on Iran

The main topic of conversation on Capitol Hill this week is poised to be the U.S.’s Saturday strike on three nuclear facilities in Iran, which marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Trump on Saturday, in his first public remarks after the attack, said Tehran’s “key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” though senior officials on Sunday said they were unaware of the status of Iran’s stockpile of uranium. On Sunday, the president suggested he would support regime change in Iran.

An all-senators briefing on Iran is set for Tuesday afternoon, a gathering that was scheduled before the weekend strikes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has also called for a briefing, writing in a statement on Saturday: “Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting.”

Reaction to the weekend offensive largely broke along party lines, with Democrats criticizing the decision to strike the nuclear facilities — and Trump’s decision to do it without formal approval from Capitol Hill — and Republicans lining up behind the move, arguing that he had the authority to carry it out as commander-in-chief.

There were, however, some vocal detractors.

In the GOP, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who had been pushing against U.S. intervention in the Middle East conflict, wrote on X after news of the strike broke:

© The Hill