1A 'If You Can Keep It': What Trump Owes Congress
Mar 16, 2026
Dakota Rudisill, law professor and former Senate intelligence staffer; Phil Stewart, Reuters national security correspondent; Sarah Binder, Brookings scholar on Congress; Liz Goodwin, Washington Post Capitol Hill reporter. They probe how Congress was notified, war powers and past AUMFs, partisan dynamics around funding and oversight, secrecy and classified legal memos, and media access and messaging during the Iran campaign.
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Standing Military Enables Executive-Led Military Action
- Congress ceded substantial authority to presidents after WWII by allowing a permanent large military establishment ready to act on executive orders.
- That structural change enables presidents to deploy forces without prior congressional authorization.
Republican Support Is Stable But Vulnerable To Economic Pain
- Republican lawmakers broadly backed the campaign because Iran is traditionally seen as an adversary, despite concerns about strategy and energy impacts.
- Rising oil prices and disruptions such as the Strait of Hormuz closure are increasing Republican unease.
Watch Funding Votes As The Real Congressional Leverage
- Congress can use appropriations and reconciliation to fund or restrict the war; appropriations votes will test party cohesion.
- Administration may seek $50 billion; with reconciliation Republicans could pass funding with 50 Senate votes.