{"id":2596953,"date":"2026-04-30T05:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-tells-trump-to-ignore-60-day-iran-war-powers-deadline\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T05:37:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:37:03","slug":"graham-tells-trump-to-ignore-60-day-iran-war-powers-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-tells-trump-to-ignore-60-day-iran-war-powers-deadline\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham tells Trump to \u2018ignore\u2019 60-day Iran war powers deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgraham-tells-trump-to-ignore-60-day-iran-war-powers-deadline%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2596953&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>As the administration nears a 60-day deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution for the Iran conflict,Trump faces a Friday decision on whether to wind down the operation,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-the-us-and-uk-bomb-the-houthis-into-submission\/\" title=\"Can the US and UK ... the Houthis to surrender through bombing\">seek congressional authorization<\/a> to continue,or request a limited one-time 30-day extension. The move is increasingly fracturing Republicans, wiht some arguing the law is unconstitutional and that presidents have broader war powers, while others insist Congress must either authorize or block further military action unless there is an appropriate basis for winding down.<\/p>\n<p>Key centrist lawmakers such as susan Collins and John Curtis say congress should actively oversee-either authorizing or not-and require clearer details on objectives and costs. Other Republicans, including Thom Tillis and Josh Hawley, express different preferences: Tillis wants details and would prefer Congress grant an authorization for use of force, while Hawley says he would rather not authorize the war and supports ending it rather than expanding it. Simultaneously occurring, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s early congressional testimony framed the debate as driven by partisan \u201creckless\u201d rhetoric, and Senate leaders signaled they are awaiting more clarity on the administration\u2019s intentions as lawmakers prepare for a recess.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The war in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\">Iran <\/a>is increasingly fracturing Republicans on Capitol Hill as the administration approaches a 60-day deadline that could force President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> to begin <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4526274\/trump-congress-iran-war\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4526274\/trump-congress-iran-war\/\">winding down the Middle East conflict<\/a> that has stretched for over two months now.<\/p>\n<p>Trump is staring down a Friday deadline set by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/war-powers-resolution\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/war-powers-resolution\/\">1973 War Powers Resolution<\/a> that limits a president\u2019s unilateral military action, a law Democrats have unsuccessfully tried to invoke five times to curtail the overseas operations without congressional approval. Trump can seek authorization from Congress to continue the war, end it, or grant himself a one-time 30-day extension with limitations against offensive operations.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4548735\/fetterman-democrats-not-the-popular-guy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Fetterman laughs when asked about relationship with Democratic colleagues: Not the \u2018popular guy\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4546494\/save-act-quietly-punted-senate-graveyard\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>SAVE Act quietly punted to Senate graveyard as some supporters concede defeat<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4547015\/senate-republicans-trump-cuba-war-powers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senate Republicans shoot down measure to stop Trump from striking Cuba<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close Trump ally and staunch proponent for armed intervention in Iran and other hostile nations, has another idea.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cIf I were them, I\u2019d completely ignore\u201d the deadline, Graham told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>in a brief interview. \u201cI\u2019ve always thought it\u2019s been unconstitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Past presidents in both parties have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/capitalism-is-popular-but-woke-big-business-is-not\/\" title=\"Capitalism is Popular But Woke Big Business Is Not\">held similar views<\/a> that the commander in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >chief holds broader constitutional war powers<\/a> than are afforded by the Vietnam War-era law. In 2011, for example, the White House under President Barack Obama insisted they held the authority to continue war in Libya beyond the 60-day mark because there were neither \u201csustained fighting or active\u201d gunfights nor U.S. troops on the ground. Some Republicans have drawn comparisons to Iran, citing weeks of ceasefire with no offensive strikes.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s a growing faction of Republicans, many of whom previously cited the 60-day mark as an inflection point for the war, who are increasingly uneasy about the lack of congressional approval and the economic fallout, making their affordability messaging go up in flames ahead of the midterm elections. They want Congress to make an official determination, and for the administration to notify them of an extension if it chooses to use one. The White House\u2019s plans are not yet clear.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME), a centrist up for reelection in a battleground race, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Congress should \u201ceither authorize the military action or block it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we should follow the law,\u201d Collins said. \u201cSixty days is the endpoint for unilateral, non-congressionally approved military hostilities, except for winding down activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-families-plan-would-put-21-million-more-people-on-welfare-analysts\/\" title=\"American Families Plan Would Put 21 Million More People On Welfare: Analysts\">expressed similar concerns<\/a>, saying a 30-day extension is \u201cpart of the conversation\u201d over how they should respond but added that \u201cwe, being Congress, need to be watching the 60 days and \u2026 either authorize or not authorize action.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a retiring centrist, said lawmakers \u201cneed details\u201d about objectives, costs, and what success looks like, but would prefer that Congress greenlight the war with an Authorization for Use of Military Force.<\/p>\n<p>In the latest example of the war drawing unconventional battle lines within the GOP, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a populist conservative, would \u201cprefer not to do that because I don\u2019t really want to authorize the war. I want to end it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would really rather not ramp up a war effort that I think the president is trying to wind down, and I think he\u2019s right to wind down,\u201d Hawley said. \u201cThere\u2019s a number of certifications they can make, but they need to say something. So, hopefully they will.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump, accompanied by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as they were returning to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4547719\/partisanship-dominant-hegseth-caine-first-public-hearing-iran-war\/\">first congressional testimony since the start of the war<\/a> on Feb. 28, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday that the \u201cbiggest adversaries we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans two months in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth will testify to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. In an appeal for more transparency and in what appeared to be a slight against Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID), Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said the panel should \u201chelp out the institution and members by holding some war powers-related oversight hearings.\u201d Absent those, Young plans to \u201cwatch with great interest the Armed Services Committee and hope that, perhaps, they can assume the role of asking questions about war powers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf that sounds passive-aggressive, I hope it doesn\u2019t,\u201d Young added. \u201cBut if it catalyzes the committee to actually announce a hearing, I wouldn\u2019t lament that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4547719\/partisanship-dominant-hegseth-caine-first-public-hearing-iran-war\/\">HEGSETH AND CAINE\u2019S FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON IRAN WAR DOMINATED BY PARTISAN CLASHES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has dodged whether the Senate will take any action, suggesting to reporters that more information on the administration\u2019s plans was needed. He said a \u201ccessation of hostilities\u201d would \u201cnot, obviously, trigger\u201d the 60-day deadline. The Senate is scheduled to leave Washington on Thursday for a scheduled recess until May 11.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut, obviously, our members are interested in paying attention to what\u2019s happening there and kind of what the administration\u2019s plans are,\u201d Thune added of Iran.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Iran war nears a 60-day deadline, GOP lawmakers split over whether to follow War Powers Resolution limits<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2596954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26005064673054.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3803,3823,3634,57516],"class_list":["post-2596953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-graham","tag-iran","tag-trump","tag-war-powers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26005064673054.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2596953"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2596957,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596953\/revisions\/2596957"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2596954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2596953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2596953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2596953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}