PresidentDonald Trump's decision toorder U.S. airstrikeson three nuclear sites in Iran June 22 brought immediate questions from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle whether he had acted within his authority. Under Trump's direction, the U.S. effectivelyjoins a 10-day-old warinitiated when Israel began bombing Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. The presidenthas saidrepeatedly that he did not want to get involved in conflict in the Middle East but that "that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon." Some lawmakers, including staunch conservatives and prominent progressives, are calling the move a breach of the Constitution. "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York,posted on X. The Constitution puts the power to declare war in Congress' hands, and theWar Powers Resolutionof 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. The law also limits the deployment of armed forces beyond 90 days in the absence of a formal declaration of war. Asked at Pentagon news conference early June 22 when Congress was made aware of the strikes, Defense SecretaryPete Hegsethasserted: "They were notified after the planes were safely out. But we complied with the notification requirements of the War Powers Act." Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, responded to Trump's social media assessment of the attack withthe statement"This is not Constitutional." Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of Californiafiled a measureJune 17 that is based on the War Powers Act and seeks to block "unauthorized hostilities" in Iran. "Stopping Iran from having a nuclear bomb is a top priority, but dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war is not the solution," Khanna said in a statement. "Trump's strikes are unconstitutional and put Americans, especially our troops, at risk." Some of Trump's strongest supporters also have cautioned against conflict abroad. "Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrotein a postshortly before the U.S. bombings. Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:War Powers Act explained; lawmakers push back on Trump