{"id":209496,"date":"2026-05-03T01:13:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/the-white-house-tries-to-sidestep-congress-on-iran-as-political-pressures-mount-from-the-politics-desk-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T01:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:13:58","slug":"the-white-house-tries-to-sidestep-congress-on-iran-as-political-pressures-mount-from-the-politics-desk-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/the-white-house-tries-to-sidestep-congress-on-iran-as-political-pressures-mount-from-the-politics-desk-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"The White House tries to sidestep Congress on Iran as political pressures mount: From the Politics Desk – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

news Alerts
There are no new alerts at this time
Welcome to <\/em>From the Politics Desk<\/em><\/a>, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.<\/em>
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
Happy Friday and welcome to May! In today\u2019s edition, Kristen Welker explores how the conflict in Iran is entering an uncertain new phase. <\/em>Plus, Jane C. Timm wraps up three new developments on the redistricting front. <\/em>
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.<\/em><\/a>
\u2014 Adam Wollner<\/em>
If it\u2019s Friday, the sprawling consequences of the war in Iran are coming to a head.
Legally, the War Powers Resolution gives the president the ability to conduct military action for 60 days, but requires congressional approval after that \u2014 or for him to request an additional 30-day extension to wind down any operations.
That deadline is today. But the White House is making a new argument in a letter to Congress<\/a>, declaring that the \u201chostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,\u201d even as the U.S. naval blockade of Iran\u2019s ports continues.
The move comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> made a similar argument<\/a> during a Senate hearing yesterday that the ongoing ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran \u201cpauses or stops\u201d that 60-day clock. House Speaker Mike Johnson<\/strong>, R-La., also repeatedly deflected NBC News\u2019 questions about the 60-day deadline, arguing that \u201cwe are not at war.\u201d
\u201cI would be very reluctant to get in front of the administration in the midst of these very sensitive negotiations,\u201d he said yesterday.
One small crack did emerge this week for Republicans, however, as Sen. Susan Collins<\/strong>, R-Maine \u2014 who faces a tough re-election campaign this fall \u2014 voted with Democrats<\/a> in an unsuccessful attempt aimed at ending the military operations against Iran until Congress approved.
It all comes amid a flurry of news that both sides are weighing what comes next. NBC News reported this week that Trump was set to be briefed on his options on the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, and that Iran is digging out munitions<\/a> to prepare for a potential new round of hostilities.
Asked about his military options in Iran, President Donald Trump<\/strong> told reporters today<\/a>, \u201cI mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of \u2018em and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? Those are the options.\u201d
On top of geopolitical consequences, the White House is also confronting the political realities domestically.
The average price of gas hit a new wartime high nationally today at $4.39 per gallon<\/a>, even as the stock market is coming off a strong month.
And polling continues to underscore Americans\u2019 frustration with the war. A new Washington Post\/ABC News\/Ipsos poll<\/a> released today finds that 61% of adults believe the war has been a mistake, while 36% believe it was the right decision. Those numbers are consistent with a spate of recent public polling, including from NBC News<\/a>, that show the public with negative feelings about the war.
We\u2019ll discuss all this and more on this Sunday\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press,\u201d where I\u2019ll be joined by Sen. Adam Schiff<\/strong>, D-Calif., who introduced that unsuccessful vote this week to halt the war, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche<\/strong>.
➡️ Related:<\/strong> U.S. asks for help with opening Strait of Hormuz while Trump attacks allies<\/a>, by Abigail Williams
Rep. Marcy Kaptur<\/strong>, D-Ohio, has beaten all comers on the way to becoming the longest-serving woman in congressional history. Now, she is running for a 23rd term in a 9th District that was redrawn to stretch into even redder territory than before, and many believe the new boundaries make her more vulnerable than ever.
Keep reading \u2192<\/strong><\/a>
➡️ More for subscribers: <\/strong>How Janet Mills\u2019 Maine Senate bid fell apart<\/a>, by Bridget Bowman and Sahil Kapur
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey<\/strong> called legislators into a special session to prepare for the possibility that the state could implement a new congressional map this year in the wake of the Supreme Court\u2019s Voting Rights Act ruling.
Alabama\u2019s primaries are currently slated for May 19 under a court-ordered map that includes two districts with heavy Black populations. But the Supreme Court\u2019s decision signaled that Alabama might now be allowed to use a previous map with just one of those districts in place, which would likely result in an additional seat for Republicans.
Ivey said she would ask lawmakers to set up a special primary election in districts that would be affected by any forthcoming court action.
\u201cBy calling the Legislature into a special session, I am ensuring Alabama is prepared should the courts act quickly enough to allow Alabama\u2019s previously drawn congressional and state Senate maps to be used during this election cycle,\u201d Ivey said in a statement.
South Carolina: <\/strong>Meanwhile, Gov. Henry McMaster<\/strong> suggested his state could also take action on the redistricting front this year.
\u201cThe U.S. Supreme Court upheld South Carolina\u2019s current congressional map in 2024. In light of the Court\u2019s most recent decision on the Voting Rights Act, it would be appropriate for the General Assembly to ensure that South Carolina\u2019s congressional map still complies with all requirements of federal law and the U.S. Constitution,\u201d he said in a statement.
The South Carolina Legislature is currently in session and the state\u2019s primary is scheduled for June 9. The state currently has one Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Jim Clyburn<\/strong>, who represents the majority-minority 6th District.
Georgia:<\/strong> But Gov. Brian Kemp<\/strong> said that he doesn\u2019t plan to delay his state\u2019s primary on May 19 in order to enact a new map.
\u201cVoting is already underway for the 2026 elections,\u201d Kemp told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/a>. But he added that the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling \u201crequires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.\u201d
Republicans currently represent nine of the state\u2019s 14 congressional districts.
Read more \u2192<\/strong><\/a>
That\u2019s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today\u2019s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.<\/em>
If you have feedback \u2014 likes or dislikes \u2014 email us at <\/em>politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com<\/strong><\/em><\/a>
And if you\u2019re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up <\/em>here<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. <\/em>
\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team\u2019s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Happy Friday and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":209497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-209496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-us","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}