But the resolution stops short of fully restraining Trump’s ability to strike Iran, carving out an exception for situations when military force is “necessary and appropriate to defend against an imminent attack” on Americans.

The Democrat-backed resolution was sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D.-Mich, a former CIA analyst and national security official who specialized in Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

In the wake of the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani by U.S. drone last week, the House voted 224-194, largely along party lines, to pass the resolution, which directs Trump to terminate any unauthorized military hostilities against Tehran.

Trump administration officials have repeatedly invoked the prospect of an “imminent threat” to justify Suleimani’s killing. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Suleimani planned an attack that would put “dozens if not hundreds of American lives at risk” and Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters earlier this week that it was “more fair to say” that the threat was “days” instead of weeks, away. On Thursday, Trump himself claimed that the Iranians were “looking to blow up our embassy” in Baghdad, but cited no facts to back up the assertion.

Following classified briefings for members of Congress on Wednesday, numerous lawmakers from both parties said that the administration did not present direct evidence of an imminent threat, even when they repeatedly asked officials to do so.

Slotkin explained the decision to limit the measure’s force on the House floor Thursday, saying that her experience as a national security official meant she did not want to interfere with the president’s power to respond to a crisis.

“It is extremely important to me that this resolution in no ways ties the president’s hands, or takes away any capabilities from our military commanders to respond in self-defense for ourselves and for our allies,” said Slotkin.

The resolution passed Thursday invokes the War Powers Act, giving it “privileged” status in both chambers of Congress. That means Democrats can bypass leadership in the Republican-controlled Senate, and any member can bring it up for a vote on the floor.

Procedurally, the measure is also a “concurrent” resolution, meaning that if it passes both chambers of Congress, Trump will not have a chance to veto it. Republicans in the House argued that the measure’s concurrent status meant that it would not be legally binding, rendering it the equivalent of a Democratic press release.

“This is a political statement for a left-wing domestic audience,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “But they are not the only ones watching. Iran is watching, and its proxies are watching. And what they see is a divided America that does not fully support the ability of our commander in chief to respond to imminent threats to Americans.”

On the House Floor, McCaul also said he’d met with Trump earlier in the day, and the president had told him that “if this resolution passes, it will take all of his power to negotiate with Iran off the table.”

The Trump administration is not currently engaged in negotiations with Iran, which has repeatedly said that it would not return to the table unless Trump repealed harsh sanctions levied by his administration. In the wake of the Suleimani’s killing, talks seem highly unlikely.