Trump’s ‘Epic Fury’ Pushes U.S. to the Brink With Iran as Congress Fights to Reclaim War Powers

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that a pending War Powers Resolution targeting President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations against Iran would endanger U.S. security, even as lawmakers press their constitutional role in authorizing war and the use of force.

Speaking to reporters after a classified briefing on the recent U.S. operation against Iran, Johnson said moving ahead with a War Powers Act vote right now is “a frightening prospect” because it could limit Trump’s ability to continue the mission. The House is expected to vote on the war powers resolution as early as Wednesday.

The White House describes Operation Epic Fury as a campaign to “eliminate the imminent nuclear threat” from Iran, destroy its ballistic missile arsenal and production base, degrade proxy terror networks, and cripple its navy. In June 2025, Trump said strikes on Iran “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and has recently talked about choosing a successor after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes last weekend.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) has received complaints from U.S. service members who allege that some commanders are portraying the newly launched war in Iran as a biblically ordained conflict meant to usher in the return of Jesus Christ. 

“I think the idea that we would move a War Powers Act vote right now, I mean, it will be forced to the floor, but the idea that we would take the ability of our commander in chief, the president, take his authority away right now to finish this job, is a frightening prospect to me,” Johnson told reporters.​

Johnson argued that curbing Trump’s authority through the resolution would be “dangerous” and expressed confidence that House Republicans can defeat it on the floor.

“It’s dangerous, and I am certainly hopeful, and I believe we do have the votes to put it down. That’s going to be a good thing for the country and our security and stability,” he added.

Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress holds the exclusive power to “declare war,” a phrase most scholars interpret to mean that only Congress can formally initiate a state of war or authorize offensive hostilities against another nation.

By contrast, the president, under Article II, serves as commander in chief, directing military operations and responding to attacks once force has been authorized, or in limited defensive situations that do not rise to the level of initiating a new war.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973, often called the War Powers Act, was enacted after the Vietnam era to reinforce Congress’s role, requiring presidents to notify lawmakers within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities and to withdraw them within 60 days absent explicit congressional authorization or a time extension.

Supporters say the law is a critical check on unilateral presidential wars, while critics claim it both constrains the commander in chief and, paradoxically, gives presidents a statutory window for short-term military actions without a prior vote.

In his remarks, Johnson insisted that Trump’s latest strikes and broader operation against Iran do not amount to a declaration of war and therefore did not require advance authorization from Congress.​

He framed the campaign as “defensive in nature, design, and necessity,” saying the president acted within his existing powers to protect U.S. troops, personnel, and assets in the region.

That characterization is contested by lawmakers who argue that sustained attacks on Iranian targets risk sliding into full-scale war and therefore demand an explicit congressional green light.

The War Powers measure now headed to the House floor would direct the president to halt offensive military action against Iran unless and until Congress specifically authorizes it, while preserving the ability to respond to an imminent attack.

Even if it passes both chambers, Trump is expected to veto it, and opponents acknowledge they are unlikely to muster the two‑thirds majorities needed to override.

Six United States service members died within the first days of the U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian and humanitarian sources say at least 555 people were killed in the initial wave of strikes, with some later estimates putting the Iran death toll over 1,000 within days.

Earlier this week, Trump said the mission would last four to five weeks, but has not put a specific timeline down. He also has not ruled out the possibility of troops on the ground in Iran.

“I am more fearful than ever after this briefing that we may be putting boots on the ground and that troops from the United States may be necessary to accomplish objectives that the administration seems to have,” Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters after a briefing.

“I also am no more clear on what the priorities are going to be of the administration going forward, whether it is destroying the nuclear capacity of Iran or simply the missiles or regime change or stopping terrorist activities,” he said.

Senator Chris Murphy added, “This is as serious as it gets. This is war and peace,” Murphy told reporters. “They told us in that room that there are going to be more Americans that are going to die.”