WASHINGTON 鈥 President Donald Trump's bombardment of three sites in Iran quickly sparked debate in Congress over his authority to launch the strikes, with Republicans praising him for decisive action even as many Democrats warned he should have sought congressional approval.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., questions Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on June 11聽during a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing to examine proposed Department of Defense budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 on Capitol Hill in Washington.
"Well done, President Trump," Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings "strong and surgical."
The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump "made a deliberate 鈥 and correct 鈥 decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime."
Overnight, US President Trump ordered Stealth Bombers to strike at the heart of Iran's nuclear programme.
The instant divisions in the U.S. Congress reflected an already swirling debate over the president's ability to conduct such a consequential action without authorization from the House and Senate on the use of military force. While Trump is hardly the first U.S. president to go it alone, his expansive use of presidential power raised immediate questions about what comes next and whether he is exceeding the limits of his authority.
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"This was a massive gamble by President Trump, and nobody knows yet whether it will pay off," said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, sit Saturday in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington.
Democrats, and a few Republicans, said the strikes were unconstitutional, and demanded more information in a classified setting. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he received only a "perfunctory notification" without any details, according to a spokesperson.
"No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy," Schumer said in a statement. "Confronting Iran's ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity."
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump "misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East."
The quick GOP endorsements of stepped up U.S. involvement in Iran came after Trump publicly considered the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision.
The party's schism over Iran could complicate the GOP's efforts to boost Pentagon spending as part of a $350 billion national security package in Trump's big spending and tax breaks bill, which is speeding toward votes in coming days.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaks to reporters June 10 at the Capitol in Washington.
"We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies," Wicker posted on X.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were briefed聽Saturday ahead of the strikes, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Thune said Saturday evening that "as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm's way."
Johnson said in a statement that the military operations "should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said he also was in touch with the White House and "I am grateful to the U.S. servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes."
Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS," he posted. "Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities."
Both parties saw splits in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran, including some of Trump's most ardent supporters who share his criticism of America's "forever wars." Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio posted that "while President Trump's decision may prove just, it's hard to conceive a rationale that's Constitutional."
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a longtime opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign wars, also posted on X that "This is not Constitutional."
"This is not our fight," Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said.
Most Democrats maintained that Congress should have a say, even as presidents in both parties ignored the legislative branch's constitutional authority. The Senate was scheduled to vote soon on a resolution from Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine that would require congressional approval before the U.S. declares war on Iran or takes specific military action.
Kaine said the bombings were "horrible judgment."
"I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war," Kaine said.
Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also called on Congress to immediately pass a war powers resolution. He said politicians always promised "new wars in the Middle East would be quick and easy."
"Then they sent other people's children to fight and die endlessly," Casar said. "Enough."
Photos: Israel attacks Iran's nuclear and missile sites

A woman carries water at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem ahead of Shabbat, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A man sits on the empty beach along Tel Aviv's beachfront, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A general view of Tel Aviv's skyline, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An Iranian protester holds up an anti-U.S. placard and a poster of the late revolutionary guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. attack in Iraq in 2020, in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian protester holds up a poster of Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, who was killed in an Israeli strike, in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

The Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, stands nearly empty as Israel's Home Front Command banned public gatherings following an Israeli military strike on Iran, in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Firefighters work the scene of an explosion at a residence compound in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man walks at the scene of an explosion in a residence compound in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A firefighter stands on a crane at the scene of an explosion at a residence compound after Israeli attacks in Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Damage is seen to an apartment building after Israeli attacks in Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Damages are seen in a building after an explosion in a residence compound after Israel attacked Iran's capital Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises from a damaged building in Tehran, Iran, early Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran. (AP Photo)

Firemen work at an apartment building after it was hit in Tehran, Iran, early Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A firefighter calls out his colleagues at the scene of an explosion in a residence compound in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Firefighters work the scene of an explosion at a residence compound in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Debris from an apartment building is seen on top of parked cars after a strike in Tehran, Iran, early Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Residents watch a damaged apartment in Tehran, Iran, early Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A protester holds up an anti-Israeli placard in a gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Israel's Ben Gurion Airport is empty of passengers after all flights were canceled following an Israeli military strike on Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Iranian protester holds up a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Firefighters and people clean up the scene of an explosion at a residence compound after Israeli attacks in Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)