In the two weeks since the war began, Congress has largely been sidelined. “The norm in this country is not to declare war by Congress, but for the military to be used by the commander in chief. Under the War Powers Resolution passed by Congress in 1973, unauthorized deployments into hostile situations must end after 60 days unless Congress votes to declare war or passes legislation authorizing the use of the military. If you don’t like the war in Iran, say we won’t pay for it. The Trump administration’s war with Iran cost $11.3 billion during its first six days, according to the Associated Press.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 15, 2026 11:30 UTC