Schiff to introduce new war powers resolution after fresh Iran-related hostilities, aiming to force another Senate vote

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said he will introduce another War Powers Act resolution to require the Senate to vote again on ending the use of U.S. forces in the conflict with Iran, following what he characterized as intensified hostilities over the last week.

Schiff said the effort is meant to address what he described as problems with “embarking on a war of choice,” and he argued that the constitutional framework for taking the country into hostilities should not be bypassed through repeated or evolving actions without fresh legislative approval. He said the next resolution would be designed to compel another vote after Republicans previously supported a different procedural outcome in the Senate, according to The Hill.

The senator’s remarks come as lawmakers continue to debate how and when Congress should intervene under the War Powers Act during military engagements involving Iran. Schiff’s approach would bring the dispute back to the Senate floor in the form of a resolution intended to end the hostilities absent congressional authorization, according to The Hill’s report.

Under the War Powers Act framework, a resolution of this type is used to assert Congress’s role in deciding whether U.S. forces should remain engaged, and it can trigger further consideration in the Senate even when the White House argues that its actions fall within existing authorities or ongoing operational needs. Schiff’s stated focus on forcing another vote underscores his view that Congress must revisit the question during each new phase of the conflict, rather than treating prior votes as covering future changes in posture or intensity.

The Hill report describes Schiff’s plan in the context of ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran and highlights his intent to push Senate Republicans to take a new recorded position on whether the United States should continue the military conflict with Iran. Schiff did not provide, in the report, additional details such as the exact timing of the filing or the resolution’s specific text.

Republicans have historically argued that the president’s commanders-in-chief authorities and related statutory frameworks provide sufficient legal basis for discrete military actions, particularly in response to threats or attacks. Schiff’s proposal would shift that dispute back into the legislative process and make the Senate vote part of the public record again, The Hill said.

If Schiff introduces the resolution, it would set up another procedural and political test in the Senate around War Powers Act compliance. The immediate next step would be the bill’s referral, if any, and scheduling for debate and voting, but the report did not identify committee or leadership targets for the measure.