Republicans block effort to halt Trump's war with Iran after 'civilization' threat

Source: NBC News

April 9, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT / Updated April 9, 2026, 12:08 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — House Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to pass a resolution to halt Donald Trump’s war with Iran on Thursday — a response to the president’s shocking threat two days earlier to annihilate “a whole civilization.”

House and Senate lawmakers are at the tail end of a two-week spring recess, but Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., and other Democrats returned to Washington for a routine “pro forma” session to try to pass the resolution by unanimous consent.

However, the Republican lawmaker presiding over the session, Chris Smith of New Jersey, gaveled out of the brief session without calling on Ivey. Democrats howled in protest, with some shouting "Shame!"

Outside the Capitol, the Democrats slammed Trump for vowing to strike civilian infrastructure targets and blast Iran back to the "Stone Age" unless its leaders agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping lane connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-block-effort-halt-trumps-war-iran-civilization-threat-rcna267345

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The House is still in recess ( "Subject to the Call of the Chair" ) but are doing every-3-day "Pro Forma" sessions, so when an attempt to bring this up was about to happen, the GOP loons gaveled in the session and gaveled back out again, ignoring the Democrats' motion for "unanimous consent".