Congress’s tools against the Iran war are colliding with a new White House planning cycle. Reason documents that House and Senate war-powers withdrawal votes have failed repeatedly since the February launch — including a recent 49–50 Senate miss — even after both chambers passed a concurrent resolution in June directing removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran. Administrations have argued pauses reset the 60-day clock; Van Hollen calls that reading frivolous and says the only real lever left is refusing to appropriate more money.

That funding fight now overlaps a secret Friday Camp David huddle on Iran and Yemen chaired by Vice President JD Vance, Axios and CBS News report, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth among the attendees. Trump has said he may renew major combat operations after the November midterms and has framed an “easy way” versus “hard way” choice for Tehran. Anadolu quotes Van Hollen urging colleagues to “cut off funding” as a third carrier and thousands more troops move toward the region. Reason estimates the off-budget tab already exceeds $40 billion at roughly $2 billion to $3 billion a month.

For service members’ families and households paying elevated fuel costs, the stake is whether Congress can force an off-ramp or whether post-election strike talk proceeds on already appropriated readiness accounts. Watch the supplemental calendar, any new war-powers vote, and what Camp David decisions surface in public. Historically, CRS has called the power of the purse the most effective way to compel a president on overseas force — and here, simply refusing the supplemental would be the first step.

What we know:
War-powers votes keep failing; Van Hollen is pushing a funding cutoff; Camp David aides met on Iran and Yemen; Trump has floated post-midterm escalation.
What we don’t:
What, if anything, Camp David decided, or whether Senate appropriators will starve or fund a new Epic Fury supplemental.