Democrats demand war powers vote after U.S. strikes Iran

• The U.S. and Israel began "major combat operations" in Iran overnight with the aim of destroying the country's military capabilities and fostering regime change, Trump announced in a video statement.

What they're saying: "The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement.

• "Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action," he added. Kaine had been planning to force a vote on his war powers resolution next week.
• Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) echoed Kaine's calls, telling CNN on Saturday morning: "We should have Congress immediately go back into session for the War Powers vote to reassert the American people's will, which, again, they don't want to be at war. So I'm ready to go right back to the Senate today."
• The House is not expected to return until Wednesday, and the Senate will return on Monday.

Zoom in: Secretary of State Marco Rubio called House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and briefed him before the strikes.

• Rubio briefed the Gang of Eight — a group of lawmakers made up of the party leaders in both chambers and top lawmakers on the Intelligence Committees — on Iran last week.
• The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner (Va.), criticized the administration for moving forward without congressional authorization.
• "The American people have seen this playbook before — claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building," Warner said in a statement.

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said: "It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history."

• "As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate."

The other side: Congressional Iran hawks praised Trump's move, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) calling it a "well-planned" operation.

• "It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful. Again the demise of the ayatollah's regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified," Graham wrote on X.
• Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said the move was a "pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests."

The intrigue: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a frequent Trump critic, called the strikes "acts of war unauthorized by Congress."

• Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) were already planning to force a war powers vote on Iran in the House next week.
• "Congress must reconvene on Monday to vote on Thomas Massie and my war powers resolution to stop this war," Khanna said in a video posted on X.

What's next: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he expects administration officials to brief all senators on the strikes.

• "Iran's relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory, and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies. ... I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats," Thune added.

The bottom line: A war powers resolution aimed at curbing the administration's operation in Venezuela failed in January in both the House and Senate.