Exclusive: Johnson backs new 60-day clock if Iran fighting flares up
In an exclusive USA TODAY interview, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump should get 60 more days to request congressional authorization if war resumes.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hopes the Iranians "come to their senses" amid a flare-up in fighting, but if a tenuous ceasefire continues to break down, he suggested President Donald Trump should get a fresh start on the legal deadline to receive approval for the military conflict from Congress.
The president is legally required under the War Powers Act to withdraw troops from combat zones if Congress does not formally authorize their deployment within 60 days. That deadline came and went nearly two months ago, with no request coming to Capitol Hill from Trump.
The Trump administration has argued that the ceasefire with Iran paused or stopped the clock altogether – and nullified the need for Congress to weigh in on the war. Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, backed up the administration.
He indicated in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY on June 29 that if hostilities ramped up significantly, Trump could restart the 60-day clock for congressional approval.
"I suppose it would have to restart entirely. We ended Operation Epic Fury many weeks ago, and we had been in a period of peace," said Johnson, though sporadic U.S. military strikes have continued over the last few months. "We're hoping that we can restore that so that there's not kinetic activity and ongoing war-like activities. We'll see."
US, Iran skirmishes continue amid tenuous ceasefire
Trump has sought to wind down the war amid strong public disapproval and growing discontent among lawmakers in both chambers. But he has struggled to cement a long-term peace deal with Iran that meets all of his military objectives.
Twice in recent days, the United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran following drone attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire last week and said in a weekend social media post that the United States could be "forced to militarily complete the job."
Johnson told USA TODAY that top congressional leaders had been briefed several hours earlier on the war by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been playing a leading role in negotiating peace with Iran.
"They gave us the update on where they see things, and negotiations that are critically important, and they answered a lot of questions about the forecast of what's next," Johnson said.
The call that lasted roughly an hour included Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the top-ranking Republican and Democratic members on the House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, Johnson said.
"There were lots of tough questions asked and good answers given on this call we had. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about it, but members of Congress are watching it very closely, as all Americans are," Johnson added.
Trump launched the Iran war on Feb. 28 and never sought congressional authorization, with his administration arguing in a memo that an April 7 ceasefire "terminated" hostilities. Democrats and some Republicans have refuted that, though, and have been pressuring the administration to end the conflict amid ongoing strikes and a continued military presence in the region.
Both the House and Senate recently passed resolutions seeking to end the war. The Senate later reversed its position after Trump excoriated lawmakers in a meeting, and two Republicans changed their votes when a similar bill came to the floor.
Strait of Hormuz remains a point of contention
The United States and Iran traded military strikes in recent days, despite the two sides signing a preliminary peace deal earlier this month.
That agreement calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has sought continued control over the vital shipping route and launched drone attacks last week on two commercial vessels. The Trump administration responded with military strikes in Iran on June 26 and June 27 in a tit-for-tat that also saw Iran fire missiles at bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Trump complained about repeated ceasefire violations in a June 27 social media post that said: "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started.”
"If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" the president added.
Trump said Monday that peace talks will resume, with U.S. negotiators heading to Doha, Qatar, later this week. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Witkoff will travel to Doha for the talks.
The economic fallout of the Iran conflict is having major implications heading into a midterm election in which control of Congress is at stake. The war has driven up inflation, as the price of gas and other goods spikes, and a Quinnipiac University survey released last week found that 60% of voters don't think the conflict was worth it.
Gas prices have started to come down since the preliminary peace deal was announced, but the latest round of strikes has threatened to slow ship traffic through the strait, which carried 20% of the world's oil before the war.
“We are very hopeful that the Iranians will cease the hostilities, come to their senses and allow the Strait of Hormuz to remain open for commerce and work toward a lasting peace," Johnson told USA TODAY.
Contributing: Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY