Congress Puts Donald Trump’s Iran Strategy on the Clock

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2026

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Four House Republicans side with Democrats to pass a resolution calling for the end of hostilities in Iran unless Congress approves further action. Is Capitol Hill showing its lack of faith in Donald Trump’s vision for ending the war? Plus, housing regulator Bill Pulte is picked to be the next director of national intelligence despite a lack of credentials for the job, putting into question the need for the department and the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	I think the potential of Agenic is to rethink how work gets done overall. It challenges all sorts of traditional orthodoxies around how organizations execute the work at hand. That's Jason Gersatus, CEO of Deloitte U.S., talking about the transformational potential of A.Gentic AI. Join him later to learn why agents are a game changer for businesses across industries.
0:25.6	From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch. Congress votes for the
0:33.7	first time to start the clock on ending the Iran war and rebuke.
0:38.8	To President Trump, what does this mean for prosecuting the war?
0:42.3	And how will Iran interpret the votes?
0:45.8	Plus, the president names housing regulator.
0:48.3	That's right, housing regulator, Bill Pulte, as acting director of national intelligence, which is complicating the House and
0:57.0	Senate efforts to pass an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,
1:05.2	a necessary intelligence tool for keeping the United States safe. Those are our subjects for today. Welcome. I'm Paul
1:13.2	H. You go, editor of the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. And this is Potomac Watcher,
1:19.5	daily podcast, and I'm here with Kate O'Dell, who covers Capitol Hill and security issues for us. Hi, Kate.
1:27.0	Hello, Paul. Let's take the War Powers Resolution
1:30.0	votes first. The Senate passed this in May for the first time after several failed
1:37.2	attempts by Democrats as four Republican senators defected. And this week, the House did as well, again, for the first time as four
1:46.4	Republicans defected from the rest of the party and voted with Democrats to pass it 215 to
1:52.9	211. Now, this resolution could now make it to President Trump's desk, where he has vowed to
1:59.6	veto it. So the practical effect of this on actually stopping President Trump's desk where he has vowed to veto it. So the practical effect of this
2:02.7	on actually stopping President Trump's prosecution of the war is limited, but its political impact
2:10.9	is a different story. And this does send a political message. And of course, how will the regime
2:17.3	in Tehran interpret it maybe the most important?
2:20.7	Because what it says to them, I think, Kate, and please elaborate on this, is, hey, the American
2:27.3	patience at home for the war is waning.
	...

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