Sponsors (8)
The bill trades faster presidential flexibility for stronger legislative control and fiscal restraint over military action involving Iran—reducing the likelihood of unauthorized or open‑ended engagements while risking slower responses to emergent threats and greater congressional conflict.
Taxpayers and federal employees: Congress must approve any U.S. military engagement with Iran by requiring a formal declaration or statutory authorization, placing primary war-decision authority with Congress and reducing the risk of unauthorized or open-ended military commitments.
Military personnel and federal employees: Preserves the President's ability to act immediately in emergent self‑defense consistent with the War Powers Resolution to protect U.S. personnel and interests.
Taxpayers: Limits executive spending flexibility related to military action involving Iran, reducing the risk of open‑ended or unapproved financial commitments and helping constrain long‑term fiscal exposure.
Military personnel and federal employees: The bill could constrain the President's ability to respond quickly to evolving threats involving Iran when congressional authorization is not immediately available, potentially delaying urgent defensive actions.
Taxpayers and federal employees: Shifts decision‑making and potential costs to Congress, likely producing politically fraught votes that increase partisan conflict and the risk of legislative deadlock over military responses.
Taxpayers: Even with procedural and War Powers Resolution requirements, Congress could still authorize costly military engagements, which would impose long‑term fiscal burdens on taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits federal funding for military force in or against Iran unless Congress declares war or enacts a WPR-compliant authorization, while preserving lawful self-defense.
Introduced June 17, 2025 by Bernard Sanders · Last progress June 17, 2025
Prohibits federal funding for any use of military force in or against Iran unless Congress either declares war or later enacts a specific statutory authorization for that use of force that satisfies the War Powers Resolution; preserves the President’s ability to act in an emergency or lawful self-defense consistent with the War Powers Resolution and does not itself authorize the use of force. The bill also states that prior authorizations for use of force (including earlier AUMFs) do not authorize military force against Iran and leaves intact the executive branch’s reporting and consultation duties under the War Powers Resolution.