Big QuestionsLiveSecurity & foreign affairs
Iran war powers
Data as of October 9, 2026
From the official record
A Senate floor vote on it failed.
What Congress is deciding
AIAI-decoded
Congress has not passed an authorization for U.S. military action against Iran. The question these resolutions put to a vote: do U.S. hostilities with Iran need Congress's approval to continue? The House has agreed three times: H.Con.Res. 86 (215–208, June 3), H.Con.Res. 89 (214–208, July 23) and H.Con.Res. 93 (220–204, September 15), the last with yes votes from both parties, including Rep. Thomas Massie. The Senate agreed to H.Con.Res. 86 on June 23, 50–48, and rejected H.Con.Res. 89 on September 24, 49–50. On June 24 it voted 47–50 against taking up S.J.Res. 185, and motions to pull two more Senate resolutions out of committee failed in July. A concurrent resolution never goes to the president, and the Congressional Research Service calls that path constitutionally suspect; the record does not show that H.Con.Res. 86 ended the operations. H.Con.Res. 93 is in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with no vote date on the record.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Summary updated September 24, 2026.
The bills
The bills behind this question. Each opens the plain-language version. Where a decision on it is still open, it also opens the call panel. Its support and oppose scripts are equally one tap away.
AIPlain-language text on these cards is written by AI and labeled: the decoded headline, where there is one, and the summary of what a yes and a no vote do. Nothing publishes until it passes automated checks. To report an error, email hello@oravan.org.
Still open to a call · 7
Resolution demands troop withdrawal from Iran combat without war approval
Passed the House; waiting on the Senate.
The newest House measure. It directs the president, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized. The House agreed to it on September 15, 2026, 220–204, and the Senate referred it to the Foreign Relations Committee the next day. A yes vote in the Senate joins that direction; a no vote leaves current operations under the president's direction.
Senate bill seeks Iran war powers limits
A Senate floor vote on it failed.
The Senate discharged it from committee on May 19, 2026, 50–47, then voted 47–50 on June 24 against taking it up. It remains on the Senate calendar. A yes vote directs the president to end U.S. involvement in hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, with exceptions for protecting U.S. personnel and facilities and for helping partner countries intercept incoming strikes. A no vote leaves current operations under the president's direction.
Senators push resolution to force end to U.S. military action against Iran
In committee.
A Senate joint resolution from Sen. Schiff, introduced July 13, 2026, directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized. It was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee and has had no action since. A yes vote directs that removal; a no vote leaves current operations under the president's direction.
Resolution would force Iran combat pullout without new congressional approval
In committee.
A Senate joint resolution from Sen. Hickenlooper, introduced August 6, 2026, directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized. It was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee and has had no action since. A yes vote directs that removal; a no vote leaves current operations under the president's direction.
Resolution would force Iran troop withdrawal without war declaration
A Senate floor vote on it failed.
A Senate joint resolution directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized. A motion to discharge it from the Foreign Relations Committee failed on July 23, 2026, 47–49, and it has had no action since. A yes vote on a new discharge motion would bring it to the floor; a no vote leaves it in committee.
Resolution would force Iran combat pullout without congressional war vote
A Senate floor vote on it failed.
A Senate joint resolution directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized. A motion to discharge it from the Foreign Relations Committee failed on July 30, 2026, 49–50, and it has had no action since. A yes vote on a new discharge motion would bring it to the floor; a no vote leaves it in committee.
Senator seeks vote to end unauthorized U.S. combat role against Iran
A Senate floor vote on it failed.
The earlier Senate measure on the same question. A motion to discharge it from the Foreign Relations Committee failed on June 16, 2026, 47–48. A yes vote directs the same wind-down; a no vote leaves operations unchanged.
Settled · 3 · kept as the record
H.Con.Res. 89Rejected
The Senate rejected it, 49–50, on September 24, 2026.
H.Con.Res. 86Agreed to
Both chambers agreed to it in the same form, the second on June 23, 2026.
A states where both chambers stand. It isn't a law and doesn't go to the president, so it doesn't bind the president the way a law does.
Does this bind the president?
This one invokes section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, a law that says the president shall remove U.S. forces from hostilities Congress has not authorized if Congress so directs by concurrent resolution. In 1983, in INS v. Chadha, the Supreme Court held that Congress acts with the force of law only through a measure passed by both chambers and presented to the president. A concurrent resolution is never presented to the president, so the Congressional Research Service calls section 5(c)
constitutionally suspect
.Explanation drafted by AI from official sources
H.Con.Res. 38Rejected
The House rejected it, 212–219, on March 5, 2026.
No side is pre-selected. Where a record still has a call to make, the same call panel opens, and its support and oppose scripts are equally available.
Still open to a call
Where it stands · October 4, 2026
AIAI-drafted from the public record
On September 24, 2026, the Senate voted on H. Con. Res. 89 and it was rejected, by a recorded vote of 49 to 50 (Roll no. 244). Republicans: 4 yea, 49 nay. The same day, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged from the measure under the order of 8/8/26, which moved it to the floor for that vote.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
How this summary has changed (15)
As of September 29, 2026
On September 24, 2026, the Senate voted on H. Con. Res. 89 and it failed of passage by a recorded vote of 49 to 50 (Roll no. 244). On that vote, 4 Republicans and 43 Democrats voted yes. Also that day, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged from the measure under the order of August 8, 2026. Earlier, on September 15, 2026, the House agreed to H. Con. Res. 93 by a recorded vote of 220 to 204 (Roll no. 307). On that vote, 7 Republicans and 213 Democrats voted yes. The measure was received in the Senate on September 16, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Rewritten because 3 days had passed since the last version
As of September 26, 2026
The most recent floor action was in the Senate, where H. Con. Res. 89 failed by a recorded vote of 49 to 50 (Roll no. 244) on September 24, 2026, after the Foreign Relations Committee was discharged under the order of August 8, 2026. That measure's status is Floor activity. H. Con. Res. 93 passed the House on September 15, 2026 by a recorded vote of 220 to 204 (Roll no. 307) and was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations; its status is Passed one chamber. H. Con. Res. 86 is also listed as Passed one chamber. S.J.Res. 185, 180, 181, 172, and H. Con. Res. 38 show Floor activity. S.J.Res. 200 and S.J.Res. 211 remain In committee.
Rewritten because a bill on this question moved to a different stage
As of September 25, 2026
The most recent floor action is a Senate defeat: H. Con. Res. 89 failed on a Yea-Nay vote of 49 to 50 (Roll no. 244) on September 24, 2026, after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was discharged from further consideration under the order of August 8, 2026. That measure remains listed as passed one chamber, reflecting its earlier House action. Separately, H. Con. Res. 93 passed the House by a recorded vote of 220 to 204 (Roll no. 307) on September 15, 2026, and was received in the Senate on September 16, 2026, where it was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. H. Con. Res. 86 also stands as passed one chamber. Several other measures, including S.J.Res. 185, S.J.Res. 180, S.J.Res. 181, S.J.Res. 172, and H. Con. Res. 38, show floor activity, while S.J.Res. 200 and S.J.Res. 211 remain in committee.
Rewritten because a bill on this question moved to a different stage · 5 new actions were recorded since the last version
As of September 24, 2026
Where it stands: four related measures sit at different points, with no floor or committee action recorded in the last 14 days. S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172 both show floor activity. H. Con. Res. 38 also shows floor activity. H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber. No new votes, tallies, or roll-call numbers have been recorded for any of these measures in this period. Their status remains as listed above, unchanged from the prior record. No committee markups, amendments, or scheduling notices appear in the record for this window. Readers tracking these measures will find the current standing unchanged from the last reported update.
Rewritten because a bill on this question moved to a different stage
As of September 22, 2026
Where it stands: two Senate joint resolutions, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, sit at Floor activity, with no recorded action in the last 14 days. In the House, H. Con. Res. 38 remains In committee, also with nothing recorded in this window. H. Con. Res. 89 has reached Passed one chamber, its most recent recorded status, with no further movement logged in the last 14 days. No votes, tallies, or roll-call numbers were recorded for any of these measures during this period. Readers can expect updates here as soon as new floor or committee action is entered into the record for these four measures.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of September 15, 2026
Where it stands: four measures sit at the status recorded, with nothing new logged in the last 14 days. S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172 each show floor activity. H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee. H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber. No votes, tallies, or roll-call numbers were recorded for any of the four measures during this period. Readers tracking these items will see the same status today as in the prior update, since the record contains no entries for this window. When new floor votes, committee actions, or roll calls are recorded, the status lines above will change to reflect them.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of September 8, 2026
Where it stands: two Senate joint resolutions, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, sit at floor activity, the live stage where each awaits further floor action. No votes or scheduling notes have been recorded on either in the last fourteen days. In the House, H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee, unchanged in that status through this period. H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber, and no further action on it has been logged in the last fourteen days. Nothing has moved on any of these four measures in this window; each stands exactly where it stood two weeks ago.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of September 1, 2026
Where it stands: two Senate measures, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, remain at floor activity, meaning each awaits or is undergoing action on the Senate floor. In the House, H. Con. Res. 38 stays in committee, and H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber. No activity was recorded on any of these measures in the last 14 days. The record shows no new votes, no new tallies, and no new committee actions during this period. Each measure remains at the status listed above, unchanged from the prior period, with no additional record to report at this time.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of August 25, 2026
Where it stands: two joint resolutions, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, remain at floor activity. Neither has moved in the last 14 days; no new votes or texts were recorded in that window. Separately, H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee, with no recorded action in the last 14 days. H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber, and no further action on it appears in the record over the same period. In short, all four measures sit where they last stood, with the record showing no new activity to report for this stretch.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of August 18, 2026
Right now, two Senate resolutions, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, sit at floor activity, meaning each is currently before the full Senate rather than in committee. On the House side, H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee, while H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber. No actions were recorded on any of these four measures in the last 14 days. That means the status listed for each one reflects the most recent official record available, with no new votes, hearings, or committee actions logged in that period. Readers tracking these measures will see the same standing repeated until the next recorded action changes it.
Rewritten because 7 days had passed since the last version
As of August 11, 2026
Where it stands: two joint resolutions on export control policy, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172, sit on the floor calendar. Neither has been scheduled for a vote in the last 14 days, and no floor action has been recorded in that time. Separately, H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee, with no committee action logged in the last 14 days. H. Con. Res. 89 has passed one chamber; no further action on it has been recorded in the last 14 days. Nothing has moved on any of these four measures in the last two weeks.
Rewritten because 8 days had passed since the last version
As of August 3, 2026
H. Con. Res. 89, directing the president under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran, has passed one chamber. On July 22, 2026, the House scheduled the measure. On July 23, 2026, the House agreed to the resolution by the Yeas and Nays, 214 to 208 (Roll no. 282). That same day it was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Separately, S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172 remain on the floor calendar, and H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee. No new action is recorded on those three measures in the last 14 days.
Rewritten because 8 days had passed since the last version
As of July 26, 2026
H. Con. Res. 89, directing the president to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, has passed one chamber. On July 22, 2026, it was scheduled for floor action. On July 23, 2026, it was agreed to by the Yeas and Nays, 214 to 208 (Roll no. 282). That same day it was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. S.J.Res. 185 and S.J.Res. 172 remain on the floor calendar. H. Con. Res. 38 remains in committee. No other action has been recorded on these measures in the last 14 days.
Rewritten because a bill on this question moved to a different stage
As of July 25, 2026
The most active measure is H. Con. Res. 89, which passed one chamber. On July 23, 2026, it was agreed to by a recorded vote of 214 to 208 (Roll no. 282). The measure directs the president, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran. That same day, it was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Before the vote, it had been scheduled for floor action on July 22, 2026. Three related measures remain in committee with no recorded movement in this period: S.J.Res. 185, S.J.Res. 172, and H. Con. Res. 38.
Rewritten because a bill on this question moved to a different stage · 2 new actions were recorded since the last version
As of July 25, 2026
On July 23, 2026 the House adopted H. Con. Res. 89, 214-208, and the Senate referred it to the Committee on Foreign Relations that day. On June 24, 2026 the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to S.J.Res. 185, 47-50.
Rewritten because no summary of this question existed yet
What's moved
Everything the record shows on this question’s bills, newest day first. A Senate nomination’s record is on its own page. Up to 5 actions a day are listed here, and days with nothing recorded are shown as empty.
October 9, 2026Nothing recorded yet today.
September 26 – October 8, 2026Nothing recorded across 13 days.
September 24, 2026
- VoteH.Con.Res. 89
“Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 50. Record Vote Number: 244.”
Sourcescongress.govsenate.gov
- Floor actionH.Con.Res. 89
“Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged, under the order of 8/8/26.”
Sourcescongress.gov
September 16, 2026
- Floor actionH.Con.Res. 93
“Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.”
Sourcescongress.gov
September 15, 2026
- VoteH.Con.Res. 93
“On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 220 - 204 (Roll no. 307). (text: CR H5609)”
Sourcescongress.govclerk.house.gov
Why this Big Question exists
A Big Question opens only when a live, callable bill or Senate nomination meets published criteria: a government scheduling or floor-action signal, or press coverage from outlets across the spectrum, within the last 45 days.
The qualifying signal
Background from the institutional record
- Congressional Research ServiceCRS: The War Powers Resolution — Concepts and Practice
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