Chicago – May 13, 2026
A post-Vietnam law puts a 60-day clock on the use of military force without congressional authorization.
The war in Iran — which the Trump administration launched without seeking congressional approval — reaches the 60-day mark on May 1 under the War Powers Resolution. But instead of seeking a vote to authorize the war, the Trump administration argues the ceasefire pauses the clock.
“We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators on Thursday.
Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican, disagrees. She changed positions to vote with Democrats Thursday in their latest unsuccessful attempt to remove US armed services from hostilities.
The 60-day deadline, she said in a statement after the vote, “is not a suggestion; it is a requirement.”
Other Republicans have also said the war needs to be authorized.
