Lawmaker announces vote on Tim Kaine war powers resolution to block actions in Iran

A lawmaker announced a planned vote on Tim Kaine's war powers resolution intended to block actions the Trump administration has taken in Iran, saying the matter amounts to an armed conflict that Congress must address.

"Today we're going to vote on Tim Kaine's war powers resolution to try to block the actions that this Trump administration is taking in Iran," the lawmaker said. The speaker added a direct characterization of the situation: "This is a war uh and we have to stop them because they are totally out of control."

The lawmaker said the resolution faces steep political hurdles. "Now, this will likely fail because Republicans run the Congress," the speaker said, and described a fallback plan: "Our next step is to push for an authorization of the use of military force."

The speaker framed the issue as a constitutional question, arguing that the power to make war belongs to Congress: "The Constitution is not at all unclear. Congress and only Congress can declare war and this is a war and it's a war of choice and it has to stop."

The transcript records the announcement and these statements but does not include the outcome of any vote. The lawmaker identified the measure by name as Tim Kaine's war powers resolution and repeatedly urged congressional action, while acknowledging the resolution's limited prospects in the current partisan configuration. The next procedural steps described were an immediate vote and, if it failed, renewed efforts to obtain an authorization for the use of military force.