Republicans resist calls for Iran war hearings, creating a new standoff
with Democrats
[March 16, 2026]
By STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States' war with Iran is entering its third
week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s
case for the conflict.
Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the
war, even as Senate Democrats reach for every tool at their disposal to
demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Increasingly
frustrated, Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of
votes on the war, hoping that the effort to gum up the Senate's voting
schedule will prod Republicans to action.
“We’ve had no oversight whatsoever over what the executive is doing as
we’re spending a billion dollars a day, and we have failed to have any
real substantive debate or discussion,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
The role of Congress in the deliberations is an unsettled question with
enormous stakes, given that lawmakers have the power to shape the
trajectory of the conflict as it grows in cost and casualties. So far,
13 military members have been killed and billions of dollars have been
spent, but President Donald Trump has not sought congressional approval
for attacking Iran.
As the 17th day of the conflict dawned Monday, Republican lawmakers
remained mostly resistant to the idea of quickly forcing public
testimony before Congress.
How GOP leaders are handling calls for hearings
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters last week that he
didn't expect public hearings specifically on the Iran war, but noted it
would inevitably come up in the regular rhythm of testimony on military
policy and spending.
“They have briefed us,” Thune, R-S.D., said, pointing to classified
briefings from the Trump administration. Those sessions have been held
behind closed doors and most lawmakers refuse to disclose more than the
broad topics of discussion.
Thune also noted there have been regular news conferences from Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff. They are “answering the hard questions that are being asked,"
Thune said.
The GOP chairs of committees dealing with national security have also
said they don't have plans in the near term to hold hearings
specifically on the war, though some acknowledged the value of lawmaker
questioning.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
argued that the regular run of hearings on Capitol Hill would provide
lawmakers with plentiful opportunities to ask questions.
“We’re going to conduct generous oversight, thorough oversight,” said
Wicker, R-Miss.
Some Republicans are looking ahead to an expected supplemental budget
request from the Trump administration to cover the costs of the war.
That request, however, is likely weeks away and faces a difficult path
through Congress.
Democrats have pointed out that the Pentagon has already received
additional funding from Republicans' marquee tax cut law that was passed
last year and provided funding for GOP priorities, including at the
Pentagon.
Wariness growing from some Republicans
Still, agitation from a few Republicans at the lack of high-level
responses from the Trump administration is starting to show, especially
as they brace for a hefty war bill from the administration.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs speaks at the oversight hearings to examine Federal
policies governing Indian water rights settlements, including S.953,
to provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the
Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute
Tribe on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Washington, (AP
Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“I don’t want to just be given the invoice from the Department of
Defense, saying this is what it’s going to cost,” said Sen. Lisa
Murkowski, R-Alaska. “I want them to be engaged with us.”
She added that it was important for lawmakers to get information both in
classified briefings and public hearings “so that the public can better
understand this, too.”
Another GOP senator on the powerful Appropriations Committee,
Louisiana's John Kennedy, exited a classified briefing last week fuming
that it had been a “total waste of time" because the officials were not
able to provide the answers that top-level Cabinet officials could.
Republicans have almost uniformly backed Trump's decision to launch an
attack on Iran, though many are wary of a lengthy conflict. Trump has
cycled through different objectives for the war, ranging from crippling
Iran's military capabilities to a demand for “unconditional surrender.”
“I think we have to let the objective play out as far as we can, and if
then the effort gets murky on how to get to the objective, that might be
a good time to have some hearings, but it’s too early,” said Sen.
Cynthis Lummis, a Wyoming Republican.
But as the midterm elections approach, Republicans are also aware that
public support for the war remains tepid.
“I wish we could disclose a lot of this publicly because it would make
it a whole lot easier to explain to the American people,” said Sen. Mike
Rounds, R-S.D., adding that classified briefings were necessary to
protect U.S. service members now that the war is under way.
How Democrats may force a debate
Democrats, meanwhile, are threatening to do just about everything in
their power to bring attention to the war, even if it means repeatedly
forcing votes that fail.
A group of six Democrats has said that unless hearings are scheduled
with Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Cabinet
officials, they will call up daily votes on a series of war powers
resolutions that if passed would require Trump to gain congressional
approval before carrying out any more attacks on Iran. Similar
resolutions have already been rejected by both chambers in the
Republican-controlled Congress.
The votes, however, would eat up valuable time on the Senate floor and
set the ground for a debate on the conflict just as Senate Republicans
plan to spend much of the week trying to pass Trump's priority
legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements for
voting.
The group of Democratic senators also hinted at using other tactics to
slow the Senate's work on other business.
Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, told reporters that unless
there is a commitment for public hearings, “We’re not going to let the
Senate go on with business as usual. We’re not going to let the Senate
be silenced."
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