What Trump’s looming war powers deadline means for Congress authority and US military action

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - US Vice President JD Vance and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) arrive ahead of Britain's King Charles III address to a Joint Meeting of Congress in the House Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. — AFP

WASHINGTON, May 1 — President Donald Trump was facing a midnight deadline yesterday to secure congressional authorization for the war against Iran, though the looming cutoff is not expected to rein in his military plans.

The 60-day clock, triggered when Trump notified Congress of strikes in early March, requires the administration to begin winding down hostilities unless lawmakers authorize the use of force.

With no such approval in place, the deadline sets up a direct constitutional clash between the White House and Congress.

Democrats say the president is already on shaky legal ground—and will be in clear violation once the threshold passes.

“After we cross that 60-day threshold, there can be no more doubts that he’s violating the War Powers Act,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, urging Republicans to help end the conflict.

The administration disputes that interpretation, arguing the clock was effectively paused by a ceasefire announced last month.

“For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior administration official told AFP late on Thursday, noting that there has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since an April 7 ceasefire.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Thursday the government believes “the 60-day clock pauses or stops” during a halt in fighting—a claim Democrats reject as unsupported by the law.

With tens of thousands of US troops deployed in the Middle East and mounting economic and political costs at home, the dispute presents a high-stakes test of Congress’s authority over war powers, more than 50 years after the law was passed in the wake of the Vietnam War.

Senators voted on Thursday to reject a resolution aimed at curbing Trump’s authority, the latest in a series of failed attempts by Democrats to force an end to the conflict.

‘That time has come’ 

While most Republicans have so far backed the president, unease is growing within the party as the deadline approaches.

Some Republicans have signaled they may reconsider their support if the war continues without a clear strategy or authorization.

Utah’s John Curtis said the deadline demands action, warning that continued operations require a firm constitutional footing.

“That same law is clear that after 60 days, military action must begin to wind down unless Congress provides formal authorization,” he said, adding that he would not support continued force without lawmakers weighing in.

Despite mounting pressure, efforts to block the war face steep odds. Even if a resolution passes the Senate, it would still need approval from the Republican-controlled House and could be vetoed by Trump.

The War Powers Act has rarely succeeded in limiting presidential war-making, with courts generally reluctant to intervene and disputes typically left to the political arena. But Democrats remained hopeful of reining Trump in.

“Some of my colleagues have indicated that the War Powers Act’s 60-day mark is the moment they may join our efforts to bring this war to its conclusion. That time has come,” said Senator Adam Schiff, who introduced Thursday’s failed resolution.

“After two months of war, thirteen service members’ lives lost, and billions of dollars squandered, it is time we recognized that the price we have paid is already too high.” — AFP