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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a conservative fiscal hawk who refused to sign onto President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” is building an unlikely bipartisan coalition of lawmakers resisting the United States’ involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
“This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie said in a social media post announcing the War Powers Resolution that he introduced with Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna of California on Tuesday.
Massie, whom Trump threatened to primary during the House GOP megabill negotiations, invited “all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.” By Tuesday night, the bipartisan bill had picked up 27 cosponsors, including progressive “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.
Across the political aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her support, writing that Americans want an affordable cost of living, safe communities and quality education “not going into another foreign war.”
MASSIE TO FIELD ‘BIPARTISAN WAR POWERS RESOLUTION’ TO BAR US FROM ISRAEL-IRAN WAR, AOC SIGNALS SUPPORT
The bill’s original co-sponsors also include progressive Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who called it unconstitutional for “Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress.”
SENATE RETURNS AMID CONCERNS ABOUT DEEPER US INVOLVEMENT IN THE IRAN, ISRAEL CONFLICT
The War Powers Resolution would “remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran” and direct Trump to “terminate” the deployment of American troops against Iran without an “authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran.”
Lawmakers who oppose the United States’ joining the escalating conflict in the Middle East have sounded off on the unconstitutionality of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution.
“The American people do not want to be dragged into another disastrous conflict in the Middle East. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan War Powers Resolution with Rep. Massie to reassert that any military action against Iran must be authorized by Congress,” Khanna said.
The president told reporters on Wednesday morning that he is weighing whether to sign off on military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump said.
Trump called for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” on Truth Social on Tuesday, and said the United States won’t strike Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei “at least not for now,” but signaled America’s “patience is wearing thin.”
On the sixth consecutive night of strikes between Israel and Iran, Iran warned that the United States joining forces with Israel would mean an “all-out war,” as Israel bombarded sites overnight it says would have allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium, as well as attack Israeli forces.
Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders last week, which the Islamic Republic considered a “declaration of war” and has since launched its own strikes against Israel.
Thousands of American troops are based in nearby countries within range of Iran’s weapons, but Trump said on Wednesday that “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.”
The Jewish State targeted Iran’s nuclear capabilities after months of failed negotiations in the region and heightened concern over Iran developing nuclear weapons.
But Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, said Iran “will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes,” as Israel continues to target Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the bill.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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