Speaker Johnson pushes back on Massie's war powers resolution over Trump's missile attacks on Iran

House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back on Monday on Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie's war powers resolution over President Trump's missile attacks on Iran.

Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a war powers resolution last week that would direct Trump to “terminate the use” of U.S. armed forces in Iran without congressional authorization, The Hill reported.

Trump on Saturday launched missiles that struck Iran's nuclear sites as the Islamic country has been trading airstrikes with Israel, following the Jewish state's missile strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites.

"Our War Powers Resolution has 57 cosponsors," Massie posted on X on Monday. "Whether you like it or not Congress will be voting on U.S. hostilities in Iran. Under the War Powers Act, the President is required to withdraw from hostilities in Iran within 60 days (+30 day ext.) unless he gets a vote of Congress."

The resolution can be forced onto the House floor as it is privileged and can be called up for debate and a vote after 15 days of no committee action. The legislation was introduced on June 17.

Johnson on Monday was asked if he would allow the bipartisan measure to come to the floor for a vote.

“I don’t think this is an appropriate time for a war powers resolution and I don’t think it’s necessary,” Johnson told reporters in the Capitol. “For 80 years, presidents of both parties have acted with the same commander-in-chief authority under Article II. You had President Biden [use it] three times in Middle East operations. President Obama went on an eight-month campaign of bombing Libya to take down the regime there.”

“I never heard a Democrat balk about any of that, and suddenly now they’re just up in arms,” he added. “It’s all politics. This is not a time for politics.”

Johnson also said “the president made an evaluation that the danger was imminent enough to take his authority as commander-in-chief,” and that he had received a classified briefing on the situation early Monday morning.

“The commander in chief has Article II responsibilities, they’re very serious and important, especially in times like this,” he said. “I think he used that authority judiciously. I think he, this commander-in-chief, means what he says, says what he means, and he’s trying to protect American assets and personnel.”

When asked about a U.S. response to Iran's retaliation, Johnson said “it’s up to the commander-in-chief.”

“He sent a very clear message that they should not,” he added. “He wanted Iran to come back to the negotiating table in good faith. The problem is they weren’t there in the first place.”

Two Democratic Congress members, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sean Casten of Illinois, said that Trump's strikes on Iran are grounds for impeachment, an idea that Johnson said was “absolute nonsense.”