House votes to rein in Trump's power in Iran
By: Erin Mansified
Natalie Neysa Alund
and Zachary Schermele
USA Today
..... In a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives voted on July 23 [2026] to end the war with Iran.
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The war powers resolution passed 214-208, with all Democrats and four Republicans in support: Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Tom Barrett of Michigan.
..... The largely symbolic resolution will not force an end to the war, but did make lawmakers recode their stance less than four months before most of them face reelection.
..... The Senate was expected to vote on its own measure later in the morning. Republican senators in June [2026] bucked the White House to pass a similar measure before versing their vote the next day. With Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell on medical leave, the GOP currently has a smaller majority in the Senate.
..... The vote came two days after Sectary of War Pete Hegseth asked Congress for $67 billion in additional funding for the war, prompting Democrats to question whether the administration has a plan to end hostilities.
..... Iran and the United States continue to fight over control of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has periodically attacked ships to deter traffic and choke the world's oil supply.
..... Iran-backed Houthi militants said they attacked two oil tankers form U.S. ally Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. The group controls he Bab el-Mandeb Striate, a waterway that has been used as an alternative to the throttled strait.
..... Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Iran pulled the Houthis into the bombing, and that he hoped they would change their behavior and stay out of the conflict with Iran.
..... "They got suckered into this by the Iranians," Rubio said during a trip to Southeast Asia. "The Hoiuthis largely were smart and stayed out of this thorough the conflict, but now [they] apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this going after Saudi Arabia and their ships."
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Rubio pointed to reports overnight of Saudi ships carrying 4 million barrels of oil for China that were attempting to exit the Red Sea.
..... "Are they going to blow up the Chinese ship and this becomes a problem for China?" Rubio asked. "This will become a problem for the whole world. But I hope that they will deescalate."
..... Oil prices surged after a Houthi attract. Brent crude - the international benchmark - rose more than 6% on July 23, [2026] returning to 4100 per barrel and its highest level since last May. [2026] West Texas Intermediate oil - the U.S. benchmark - rose 5% to near $91 per barrel its highest level since early June. [2026
..... Gas prides remained above $4 per gallon. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.09, up form $3.93 in June and $3.16 this time last year. [2025] Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said on X that the average could climb to somewhere between $4.25 and $4.40 per gallon "in the next coupe weeks."
..... The renewed fighting has included the deployment of a B-1 long-range bomber to strike targets in Iran, according to multiple news outlets.
..... The supersonic plane carries up to 2,000 pounds of bombs and can each speeds up to Mach 1.2, according to information from the Air Force Global Strike Command.
..... According to The Jerusalem Post, the military deployed the B-1 on July 21, [2026] and struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets. it was not immediately known which targets were struck.
..... Axios reported the bomber launched form an airbase in he United Kingdom.
..... As of July 23, [2026] U.S. Central Command has not publicly released information about that strike or said whether there were any casualties
..... Contributing: Reuters; Rachel Barber, USA Today