By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON – House Republican leaders abruptly canceled a scheduled vote Thursday on a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, just as Republicans were on the verge of losing the vote due to absences, CNN reported.

The resolution, introduced by New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, would have required the president to end military action against Iran without congressional approval. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes to limit Trump’s war powers in both the House and the Senate -- a campaign that has slowly picked up more Republican support in recent weeks.

Top House Democratic leaders sharply criticized the decision to cancel the vote, accusing Republicans of political maneuvering.

“The Republican-controlled House continues to behave like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump administration,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

“Republicans cowardly pulled a scheduled vote on a War Powers Resolution -- legislation that would have passed with bipartisan support and required the President to end the conflict in the Middle East,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar.

Meeks echoed the criticism, telling reporters after the vote was delayed: “Here we are on the eve of Memorial Day, with prices for gasoline going up, prices for food going up. We had a vote because of this president’s war of choice that was going to pass, we had the votes without question, and they knew it, and as a result they’re playing a political game, they’re cheating and have delayed the vote until we get back.”

Meeks told reporters the vote is now expected to take place in early June after the chamber returns from its Memorial Day recess.

Earlier in the week, Meeks said he believed House Speaker Mike Johnson had been stalling a vote on the measure. “A lot of my Republican colleagues are feeling the pressure back home when they’re looking at the cost of food, the cost of gas,” he noted.

The canceled House vote comes after the Senate advanced a similar resolution earlier this week to limit Trump’s ability to carry out military action against Iran without congressional approval, signaling growing bipartisan unease with the administration’s Middle East policy.

President Trump, however, remains defiant. Earlier this week, he told reporters at the White House that he believes the US campaign against Iran has been popular among Americans.

“Look, everyone tells me it’s unpopular, but I think it’s very popular when you -- when they hear that it’s having to do with nuclear weapons, weapons that could take out Los Angeles, could take out major cities very quick,” Trump said.

As the Memorial Day recess approaches, the fate of the war powers resolution now rests in early June -- unless Republican leadership attempts further delays.