Congressional Majorities Challenge Pentagon’s War Power

Rep. Thomas Massie is threatening an impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when Congress returns this month unless Hegseth resigns, as Democrats prepare to use new majorities to challenge the Iran war and scrutinize the Pentagon. The war remains in the president’s hands, while lawmakers argue over who can control its funding and continuation.

The Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s midterm elections could shorten President Trump’s political runway to end the war. Trump acknowledged that the conflict likely contributed to Republican losses by pushing gasoline prices up in the short term. He also said he’d launch the war again.

War powers, with limits

When Democrats take control of the House and Senate in January, they’ll gain leverage over Pentagon spending. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said, “We are going to end the war.” He pointed to Congress’s power over spending, saying the Founding Fathers gave lawmakers “the power of the purse” as a way to deter a president who wages war without the American people’s consent.

That leverage has boundaries. In June, both chambers adopted a concurrent resolution directing Trump to halt unauthorized military activity against Iran. The White House dismissed the measure as having no force of law, and concurrent resolutions don’t go to the president’s desk.

Democrats could instead pass a joint resolution and send it to Trump for signature. If he vetoed it, overriding that veto would require two-thirds of both chambers. Even with their new majorities and growing unease about the war among some Republicans, Democrats would need substantial Republican support. The vote count, not the stated opposition of the public, would decide whether that route could stop the president.

The Pentagon’s price tag is also part of the fight. The Trump administration has requested a $1.5 trillion defense budget for next year, including additional Pentagon spending through reconciliation, and separately sought emergency funding for costs tied to the Iran war. Some Republican lawmakers have reportedly discussed a year-end reconciliation bill to pay for the war and other GOP priorities.

Republicans could approve that money without Democratic votes through reconciliation. But they have only a few weeks in session to agree on a package and pass it through both chambers, with a Dec. 11 government funding deadline approaching. It’s unclear how many Republicans would support more war funding after Tuesday’s losses.

The political cost—and the next move

Trump and Vice President JD Vance said the war hurt Republicans at the polls. “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote on social media. He added that anyone arguing the war was worth losing the Senate should make that case, and said an honest conversation about what comes next must begin with the election result.

Trump agreed that the war contributed to the losses, but said he didn’t regret entering it. At an event celebrating his White House ballroom, he told reporters the war drove gasoline up “a little bit, short term.” Then he said, “if I had it to do again, I’d have to do it again because long term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” The price increase landed in public life; the decision to resume the war remains his to weigh.

Trump also said he “couldn’t transfer the love” his supporters felt for him to Republican candidates. At Wednesday’s ceremony to raise the final steel beam for the ballroom, he claimed, “If I were on the ballot, we would have won,” and said the crowds at his rallies hadn’t translated into votes for candidates. His initial remarks focused on ballroom construction; he addressed the election loss after reporters asked about Vance’s assessment.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Axios that Hegseth “will be forced to answer” for his “chaotic and incompetent leadership.” Massie’s threatened impeachment vote puts that demand inside Congress, not outside its halls. The account describes no grassroots or mutual-aid response; the proposed checks on the war run through congressional votes and spending decisions.

The political shift comes as Trump weighs whether to resume military activity or pursue renewed peace talks. The Hill reported he could be leaning toward renewed military activity. Iranian officials described the election results as a rejection of the war, warned against further strikes and said Iran was prepared to respond if necessary. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, wrote on X: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.”