S.J.Res. 104 and H.Con.Res. 38 were introduced in the Senate and House, respectively, to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over decisions of war and peace by limiting unauthorized U.S. military action against Iran. The resolutions come amid recent U.S. military strikes on Iran that were carried out without a formal declaration of war or specific authorization from Congress. Both measures invoke the War Powers Resolution, which was passed to ensure that the President cannot engage U.S. forces in sustained hostilities without congressional approval.

S.J.Res. 104 was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY). H.Con.Res. 38 was introduced in the House by Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) with broad bipartisan support (77 cosponsors).

The resolutions direct the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. They clarify that any future offensive military action must receive explicit approval through a declaration of war or a specific Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). S.J.Res. 104 and H.Con.Res. 38 is designed to prevent escalation into a broader war with Iran without congressional consent and to reestablish the constitutional balance of powers between Congress and the Executive Branch.

Unchecked military action risks entangling the United States in another prolonged and costly conflict, undermines democratic accountability, and erodes trust in diplomatic solutions. By requiring congressional authorization for continued hostilities, the resolutions represent an effort to ensure that decisions about war are debated and voted on by elected representatives of the American people, rather than determined solely by the President.

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Sources:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/38

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/104

https://clerk.house.gov

House Resolution 35 Delia C. Ramirez, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, and Mark Pocan and co-sponsored by 18 other representatives with the intention to limit certain types of weapons and services being sold or transferred to Israel. The act comes as Israel has strengthened its assault on Gaza and the West Bank, with an estimated death toll since October 7th, 2023 standing at 54 thousand Palestinian men, women, and children.

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On June 4th, 2025, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, Bill Keating, Valerie Foushee, and Becca Balint introduced House Resolution 473 to the U.S. House of Representatives calling for the delivery of needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. The resolution calls for the Trump Administration to use the diplomatic and political tools at its disposal to end the conflict in Gaza, and push for the resumption of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the outbreak of the Gaza War on October 7th, 2023.

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Additional Resources:

BBC: IDF says roads to Gaza aid centres are ‘combat zones’ as sites close for day

Al Jazeera: Visual guide to how the Gaza aid distribution turmoil unfolded