President Donald Trump lambasted the four Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to pass a resolution to block him from ordering further strikes on Iran, saying they “should be ashamed of themselves.”
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing,” Trump wrote about the Democrats and “4 bad Republicans” in a social media post Thursday, calling the vote “meaningless” amid high-stakes negotiations to end the war in Iran.
Wednesday’s vote passed 215-208 and marked the first time such a measure has cleared the House or Senate on a final vote since strikes began in February.
Although the effort faces significant hurdles before Congress could force Trump to end hostilities, it follows a similar resolution that advanced in the Senate last month and dials up pressure on the Trump administration to find an off-ramp to the unpopular war that has not been authorized by Congress and has caused energy prices to soar.
Here’s a look at the four Republicans who broke with their party and why:
Thomas Massie (Kentucky)
Massie has clashed bitterly with Trump in the past year and broken with Republicans on several key votes including Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. He also led the effort to force the release of the government’s full files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The critic of U.S. military intervention overseas has long called for congressional approval for strikes in Iran and clashed with the pro-Israel wing of the Republican Party. Last month, he lost his GOP primary to Ed Gallrein, a challenger backed by Trump, in a matchup seen as a key test of Trump’s hold on the Republican Party.
On Wednesday, Massie said in a post on X that the passage of the resolution he co-sponsored showed “the People’s House is sending a message: end this war.”
Tom Barrett (Michigan)
Barrett, who served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, has expressed frustration with what he called the lack of a “clearly defined mission” or end date of U.S. military operations.
In April he opposed a measure to block Trump ordering strikes on Iran but said he introduced legislation to end operations there after the 60-day limit under the War Powers Resolution was reached.
“Congress has the exclusive authority under the Constitution to declare war and authorize the use of force,” he said Wednesday in a post on X.
“The War Powers Act of 1973 delegates some of that authority to the president for a limited period of time. That authority has expired, and my support of this resolution tonight is consistent with my belief that it is time for Congress to decide the scope of the mission and the appropriate limits on the use of force in Iran.”
Warren Davidson (Ohio)
Davidson is another veteran who has called for U.S. objectives in conflicts to be clearly defined and carried out with congressional approval.
In March, he and Massie voted with Democrats in an effort to halt the war in Iran, before Davidson fell into line behind his party in later votes.
On Wednesday he sided with Democrats again. “Define the mission. Authorize the mission. Accomplish the mission,” he wrote on social media.
Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania)
The former FBI agent and federal prosecutor has championed bipartisan decision-making in the House. He voted against a previous resolution before flipping to vote with Democrats in May after the expiration of the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day deadline.
On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick argued that Congress had to assert its powers and follow the law. “I don’t see what’s complicated about it,” he said. “Bring it to Congress, debate it on the merits, and have us vote. That’s the way the system’s supposed to work.”
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