Centrist Democrats Break With Party Leadership to Offer Trump 30-Day Iran War Authorization

Six House Democrats broke with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday by introducing legislation that would give President Trump 30 days to continue the Iran conflict before requiring congressional approval — a centrist alternative to the outright war powers resolution demanded by progressives. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey is leading the effort, which represents the most visible crack yet in Democratic unity over the war. The split mirrors the party's deeper dilemma: progressives want an immediate vote to halt the operation, while moderates in swing districts fear that opposing a popular president during wartime could be politically catastrophic. The 30-day compromise effectively concedes the president's authority to launch the operation while asserting Congress's role in deciding whether it continues — a middle ground that satisfies neither wing of the party but may attract enough bipartisan support to pass.