Montana Senator Steve Daines appeared on Fox Business Wednesday morning, telling host Stuart Varney that a Democratic-backed War Powers resolution targeting President Trump’s military engagement with Iran is unconstitutional and that he will vote against it.
Daines Cites Separation of Powers
Daines grounded his opposition in the constitutional structure established by the Founding Fathers, arguing that the resolution misreads the division of authority between the legislative and executive branches. While Congress holds the power of the purse, he said, the President exercises commander-in-chief authority under Article II, Section II of the Constitution.
“I think it’s unconstitutional. The Founding Fathers had very specific separation of powers,” Daines said during the interview.
The Montana Republican framed the Iran conflict as a direct effort by the Trump administration to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He described the operation as consistent with presidential war-making authority and said congressional Democrats were overstepping by attempting to force a halt through the War Powers Act.
Support for Military Funding, Preference for Settlement
Daines said he supports continued funding for military operations related to the Iran engagement, pushing back on any suggestion that opposition to the War Powers resolution amounts to a blank check for open-ended conflict. He described a negotiated resolution as the preferred endpoint, while making clear he believes the administration’s posture of strength is what makes diplomacy possible.
“A negotiated settlement would be the best outcome. But President Trump knows it is about peace through strength,” Daines said.
His comments align with the position of most Senate Republicans, who have largely defended Trump’s authority to act militarily against Iran without a separate congressional authorization, pointing to existing authorizations and executive war powers precedent.
Political Context
The War Powers debate lands during a politically charged period for Daines, who recently concluded a long tenure leading a Senate subcommittee focused on national parks — a role that put him at the center of disputes over federal land management and agency staffing. He remains one of Montana’s most prominent federal voices and is closely aligned with the Trump White House on national security matters.
Democrats have pursued War Powers resolutions as one of the few legislative tools available to a minority party seeking to constrain executive military action. Such resolutions are politically significant but face steep odds in a Republican-controlled Senate, and Daines’s stated opposition signals the measure is unlikely to advance.
Montana’s congressional delegation has consistently supported the Trump administration’s foreign policy posture. Daines’s appearance on Fox Business reinforced that alignment as the administration faces growing scrutiny over the scope and duration of military operations against Iran.
For more on Daines’s recent congressional work, see Daines Concludes Two Decades Leading National Parks Panel as Workforce Losses Mount.
