Congressional leaders are rushing to get lawmakers up to speed on a military conflict with Iran that is rekindling a fight over President Donald Trump‘s war powers.
Republicans in the House and Senate are working with the Trump administration to set up all-member briefings on the overnight military operation that killed top Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Leadership hopes to hold the briefings next week, when Democrats plan to force votes that would tie Trump’s hands on Iran, though the Trump administration has been updating smaller groups of lawmakers more quickly, with briefings planned for key committees on Saturday and Sunday.
Republicans and a handful of Democrats came out in support of the strikes on Saturday, meaning it is unlikely the war powers votes will succeed. But the attack, a joint operation with Israel that has prompted Iranian retaliation in the region, has raised concern that the United States is entering a protracted conflict that puts American troops in harm’s way.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called for the Senate to “quickly” return to session so that lawmakers can vote on the war powers resolution. He is also requesting that Trump officials update the public on the military operation with congressional hearings.
“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat,” Schumer said in a statement. “The administration must brief Congress, including an immediate all senators classified briefing and in public testimony, to answer these vital questions.”
Currently, the Senate is slated to return Monday and the House on Wednesday. But congressional leaders are convening emergency calls to discuss the conflict, with House Republicans set to speak at 4 p.m. on Sunday and Democrats meeting over Zoom at 8 p.m. the same day, according to sources familiar with the planning.
The administration began to brief Congress on Iran in the lead-up to the strikes, holding a meeting with the Gang of Eight on Tuesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called each member of the group, which includes top House and Senate leaders and the heads of the intelligence committees, before the operation got underway.
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“I thank Secretary Rubio for providing updates on these issues throughout the week,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in a statement Saturday, adding that he expects a briefing for all members in the coming days.
Staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are receiving an update from the State Department on Saturday, according to a GOP aide, followed by a Pentagon briefing on Sunday. The Trump administration is simultaneously expected to provide updates to the Senate Intelligence Committee over the weekend, according to Politico. Similar briefings are planned for the House.
Lauren Green contributed to this report.