House Speaker Mike Johnson says "We are not at war" as the War Powers 60-day mark approaches
Mike JohnsonSpeaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Asked about the War Powers Resolution's 60-day deadline on April 30, 2026, House Speaker Mike Johnson replied, "We are not at war." The Hill also quoted him saying, "I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace".
Responding to
Vice President JD Vance said he would not call the U.S. fight with Iran a war, saying there is no active shooting right now and that major combat operations lasted about six weeks.
“I don’t think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace … We are not at war.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Is the U.S. fight with Iran a war, as Vice President Vance says it is not?
At a White House press briefing on September 3, 2026, Vice President JD Vance was asked whether the fighting with Iran would be over before the midterm elections. He said, "I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting," and said major combat operations lasted about six weeks. The next day President Trump said he calls it "a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us." Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrat Amy McGrath, a former Marine pilot, criticized the description or Trump's defense of it. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. is "still in a conflict, for sure," and, as quoted by Al Arabiya English, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the fighting "an overt military aggression." The dispute is whether describing the fighting as not a war is an accurate and acceptable characterization.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Hill's report on Speaker Mike Johnson's comments on Thursday, April 30, 2026, as the 60-day mark under the War Powers Resolution approached. It also reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the ceasefire paused the 60-day clock.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Johnson spoke on April 30, 2026, more than four months before Vance's September 3 briefing. The Hill reported that the 60-day mark since Congress was notified of the conflict was approaching.
After the quotation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee the same day that the ceasefire paused the 60-day clock, The Hill reported.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Johnson says the United States is not at war because there is no active bombing or firing, the same description Vance later used, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTrump says America did not start a war with Iran
“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. ... We lost 18 beautiful souls ... When this conflict is over, and it will be soon”Read statement
Trump says he does not know if the Iran fighting is still a war
“I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months.”Read statement
Vance says the U.S. has been involved in Iran in some form and will not let it become a forever war
“We’ve been involved in Iran in some form for seven months. The United States has been dealing with Iran for 47 years, and I promise you that Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "House Speaker Mike Johnson says "We are not at war" as the War Powers 60-day mark approaches". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-11-14. https://disputeindex.com/events/2718-asked-about-the-war-powers-resolution-s-60