Schumer, Jeffries demand immediate briefings, vote to rein in Trump’s war powers after Iran strikes

WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic leaders in the House and Senate on Saturday, February 28, called on the Trump administration to immediately brief Congress on US military strikes against Iran and urged lawmakers to move quickly to limit President Donald Trump's war-making authority.

“Congress must vote on a War Powers resolution immediately,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a post on X.

Jeffries said Trump failed to seek congressional authorization before launching strikes against Iran, warning that the decision to bypass diplomacy had heightened risks for US forces stationed overseas.

Hakeem Jeffries says overseas troops left vulnerable

“The president’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions,” Jeffries said.

He argued that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to serve as a check on the executive branch, particularly when it comes to military action abroad and said that lawmakers should not delay in asserting that authority.

Chuck Schumer calls for swift Senate action

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed those concerns, urging the Senate to act as soon as it returns to Washington on Monday.

Schumer said the chamber should “quickly return to session” and “reassert its constitutional duty” by passing a resolution that would prevent Trump from continuing military action against Iran without explicit approval from Congress.

Schumer said he had personally pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to provide clear explanations to Congress and the public about the purpose of the strikes and what the administration plans to do next.

“Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home,” Schumer wrote on X.

He added that the administration had failed to provide lawmakers and the public with “critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”

Limited briefings raise concerns among Democrats 

Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday said that Marco Rubio had notified members of the so-called 'Gang of Eight', the top congressional leaders from both parties.

But according to reports, they were not given a full accounting of the legal justification for the strikes.

The lack of detailed briefings has fueled Democratic concerns that the administration is sidelining Congress at a moment of rapidly escalating conflict, intensifying calls for lawmakers to formally weigh in on the president’s war powers.