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Rep. Pat Ryan is urging his colleagues in Congress to pass a War Powers Resolution that would require congressional approval before President Trump can use military force against Iran. The Kingston-area Democrat, who represents New York's 18th Congressional District, is adding his voice to a growing bipartisan push on Capitol Hill as U.S.-Iran tensions continue to escalate.
Ryan, an Iraq War veteran from Gardiner, New York, took to social media Friday (February 20) to sound the alarm. "We're on the brink of MAJOR war in Iran," he posted on X, adding that he cosponsored the resolution alongside Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie. "I'm calling on every one of my colleagues from both parties to sign on," he wrote. "To force an honest conversation as a country about what comes next — to stop yet another forever war."
The resolution would direct the president to remove U.S. armed forces from unauthorized military action in Iran, in line with the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which was designed to prevent the president from committing troops abroad without Congress's approval.
Ryan drew a direct line to past conflicts. "We cannot repeat our approach from 2001 and 2002," he said, referencing the early days of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The answer cannot be 'we'll figure it out as we go.' I lost too many friends because of that logic." He also warned that airstrikes can start a war without ending one.
According to the Daily Freeman, Iran recently held joint military drills with Russia while a second U.S. aircraft carrier moved closer to the Middle East — signs that both sides are preparing for conflict if nuclear talks collapse. President Trump said Thursday he believes 10 to 15 days is "enough time" for Iran to strike a deal, but negotiations have been stalled for years. Iran has refused to discuss U.S. and Israeli demands to scale back its missile program or cut ties with armed groups.
"It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal," President Trump said. "Otherwise, bad things happen."
Khanna and Massie plan to force a vote on the Iran resolution as early as next week. "Trump officials say there's a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can't without Congress," Khanna told The Hill.
This effort comes after a similar resolution aimed at limiting Trump's military authority over Venezuela failed in the House on a tied vote. Republican leaders held that vote open for more than 20 minutes while Rep. Wesley Hunt rushed back to Washington from Texas to cast the deciding vote against it. A Senate vote on that measure also ended in a tie, broken by Vice President JD Vance.
Ryan and 11 other House Democratic military veterans have also sent a letter to President Trump demanding answers about military objectives, estimated costs, and potential American casualties before any escalation moves forward. "We all swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution," they wrote. "Article 1 Section 8 explicitly requires a vote by Congress to declare war."
Whether the Iran resolution has enough bipartisan support to pass remains to be seen, as the House is expected to take up the measure in the coming days.