Four Republicans side with House Democrats in first Iran war vote since new casualties
Four House Republicans broke with the rest of their party on Thursday to back an end to the Iran war, the first vote since several American troops were killed after fighting resumed earlier this month.
The outcome was unchanged from a vote taken in June, when House Democrats successfully passed a resolution directing President Donald Trump to end hostilities or seek congressional approval for the war. But it served as a temperature check on Republican support for the administration after a fragile ceasefire fell apart on July 8.
Since then, four service members have died from Iran-launched strikes. Trump attended a dignified transfer for those soldiers a day earlier.
Reps. Tom Barrett (R-MI), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Thomas Massie (R-KY) sided with the Democrats on Thursday in a 214-208 vote, as they have on previous war powers resolutions. Every Democrat supported the measure.
The vote comes the same day the Senate is set to take up its own resolution, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a retiring member who has sparred with Trump, likely to cast the tie-breaker. He joined three other Republican senators in helping pass the House’s resolution last month, but later walked back his support after receiving a classified briefing on the war from the White House.
Thursday’s House vote marks a setback for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who earlier in the week managed to keep his conference together on a budget blueprint that would direct tens of billions in new spending to the Pentagon. Republicans also passed a sweeping bill that sets defense policy for the agency each year.
Due to their narrow House majority, Republicans can only afford to lose two members on any party-line vote.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), who is co-leading the resolutions with Democrats including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), told reporters his party would continue forcing votes on the war, acknowledging they are “repetitive” but meant to draw attention to the conflict.
“The least we can do is to sit here and force as many votes as possible to let them and their families know that we will do the job,” Crow told reporters after the vote, referring to deployed service members. “We will do everything possible every single week until we bring them home and we end this reckless war.”
The legislative dispute comes as Democrats also pursue legal avenues to halt the Iran war.
Lauren Green contributed to this story.




