House votes to restrain Trump on war with Iran, setting up showdown with the Senate
Source: Washington Post
The House voted Friday to prevent President Trump from launching into war with Iran without getting Congress’ approval first, after more than two dozen Republicans joined Democrats to include the provision in the House’s annual defense authorization bill.
The move sets up a likely showdown with the Senate over whether the Iran restriction, which includes an exception for cases of self-defense, will be included in the final bill negotiated between the two chambers. Republican leaders in the House and Senate have argued that the language would send a bad message to Tehran that the United States is divided, complicating the president’s ability to manage escalating tensions.
The Iran amendment is just one of several high-profile measures that lawmakers voted this week to include in the first defense authorization bill Democrats have steered through the House since taking over the majority earlier this year. Those measures, which range from ending U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen to undoing President Trump’s ban on transgender troops, helped secure the support of liberal Democrats from the congressional Progressive Caucus, who had previously warned that they might vote against the defense bill.
But those measures risked losing Democrats what waning Republican support existed for the House’s defense bill. Republican leaders have accused Democrats of playing politics in a way that is “shameful,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday morning. “Our national security is not a game. But that is exactly how Democrats are treating it,” McCarthy said of the bill. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), visibly riled at the charge, retorted that Republicans “can opposite it, that’s fine, but to say we don’t care about national security . . . is a baldfaced lie.” “In fact, our bill isn’t just good, it’s better than the ones that the Republican Party has put together, because we believe the Pentagon should be accountable,” Smith continued.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/house-votes-to-restrain-trump-on-war-with-iran-setting-up-showdown-with-the-senate/2019/07/12/1305584e-a4bb-11e9-bd56-eac6bb02d01d_story.html
Original article and headline -
By Washington Post Staff
July 12 at 12:26 PM
A majority of senators endorsed a similar measure last month, but failed to come up with enough votes to clear procedural hurdles to include it in that chamber's defense bill. Republican leaders have opposed the effort because they believe it sends a negative message to Iran that could compromise the president's ability to manage escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Senate and House negotiators will determine whether the provision makes it into the final version of the defense bill, which they will work out over the next several weeks.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/07/12/house-votes-to-prevent-trump-from-entering-an-unauthorized-war-with-iran-setting-up-showdown-with-senate-over-annual-defense-bill/?utm_term=.4c044ded2b34
NYT -
By Catie Edmondson
July 12, 2019
WASHINGTON -- The House voted Friday to curb President Trump's ability to strike Iran militarily on Friday, adopting a bipartisan provision that would require the president to get Congress's approval before authorizing military force against Tehran.
The 251-170 vote reflects lawmakers' growing desire to take back long-ceded authority over matters of war and peace from the executive branch, a reclamation legislators contend has grown increasingly urgent amid escalating tensions with Iran. It also reflected a war weariness on both sides of the aisle after 17 years of conflict in the Middle East; 27 Republicans joined the Democrats to approve it.
Last month, Mr. Trump led the United States to the brink of a retaliatory missile strike before abruptly reversing course minutes before launch. On Thursday, three Iranian boats briefly tried to block passage of a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Britain's Ministry of Defense. Mr. Trump said last month he believes he does not need congressional approval to strike Iran. The vote Friday amounted to a pointed and bipartisan rebuttal -- led by strange ideological bedfellows, Representatives Ro Khanna, a liberal Democrat from California, and Matt Gaetz of Florida, one of Mr. Trump's most strident Republican allies in Congress.
"When this passes, it will be a clear statement from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that this country is tired of endless wars, that we do not want another war in the Middle East," Mr. Khanna said before the amendment vote. Mr. Gaetz issued a challenge to his Republican peers late Thursday night. "If my war-hungry colleagues, some of whom have already suggested we invade Venezuela and North Korea and probably a few other countries before lunchtime tomorrow; if they're so certain of their case against Iran," Mr. Gaetz said, "let them bring their authorization to use military force against Iran to this very floor. Let them make the case to Congress and the American people."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/us/politics/house-trump-iran-war.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
given a couple dozen House Republicans supported that House bill (i.e., will see whether Ayn Rand Paul will demand an up or down vote and make a fuss). 
Of course the Senate usually devises their own bill and then both versions go into some joint conference committee for reconciliation.