On Thursday evening, House Republicans canceled a vote on a resolution that would have stopped President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, as GOP leaders knew the legislation would pass and deliver an embarrassing loss to their Dear Leader.

Instead of voting on the resolution to stop Trump’s boondoggle of a war—which has spiked gas prices and in turn the cost of other goods and services—House Speaker Mike Johnson instead sent the House home for the Memorial Day recess so they could campaign. But good luck with that given how angry Americans are with Trump, the war, and its impact on their finances.

Republican leaders claimed that they pulled the vote due to some absences from members who wanted to vote on the legislation.

Attribution: Jack Ohman/Tribune Content AgencyCartoon by Jack Ohman

“We just had some members that weren’t there for it who wanted to be recorded on it. So we’re going to be giving them that opportunity when we get back,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told NBC News.

But that’s an embarrassing cop out, as even with full attendance it appears that the resolution has the votes to pass, with at least three Republicans—Reps. Tom. Barrett (R-MI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Thomas Massie (R-KY) saying they will vote for it. Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who had been voting against previous war powers resolutions, now said he will vote for the next one, ensuring the legislation will be successful.

“The next time they bring it, it’s passing,” Fitzpatrick told Politico after the vote was pulled.

Democrats immediately raised hell, calling their GOP colleagues cowardly for pulling the legislation not because it wouldn’t pass, but because it would.

“Are we not voting on it because the American people are sick and tired of this illegal war that is costing tens of billions of dollars, gas prices are through the roof, people can’t afford their groceries, is that why you’re pulling it?” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) said angrily on the floor, as House Democrats cheered him on. “You guys don’t have the guts—or the balls—to vote on this!”

McGovern: Can you explain what is happening with the Iran war powers resolution that was scheduled to be voted on this evening? Are we not voting on it because the American people are sick and tired of this illegal war that is costing tens of billions of dollars?

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2026-05-21T22:08:27.206Z

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA), meanwhile, issued a joint statement calling Republicans cowards for pulling the vote and saying that Americans will hold GOP lawmakers accountable for that in the November midterms.

“The Republican-controlled House continues to behave like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump administration,” the Democratic leaders wrote. “Republicans cowardly pulled a scheduled vote on a War Powers Resolution—legislation that would have passed with bipartisan support and required the President to end the conflict in the Middle East. Even as we prepare to recognize our nation’s fallen heroes on Memorial Day, House Republicans refuse to show up and be accountable to the brave service members that have been recklessly put in harm’s way.”

Ultimately, Republicans should want to pass this bill to stop Trump’s war, as the public is furious with the conflict and how it has made costs go up. 

However, that would make Trump irate. 

And given that he’s emboldened to punish members of his party for being insufficiently loyal, after he ousted two Republican members of Congress in primaries over the last week, that may be equally as bad for the GOP.

“These chickenhawk motherfuckers are gonna send us home for Memorial Day Weekend, where I’m gonna honor fellow veterans that I served 27 months in combat with, and they are gonna not even give an up or down vote on continuing this war almost three months in, while Americans are paying almost $5 a gallon at the pump,” Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) said on the steps of the Capitol after the vote was pulled. “It is fucking pathetic.”

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