Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPowell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (D-Calif.) is flexing her muscles at the start of a critical election year by challenging President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE on two explosive issues — impeachment and Iran — that are sure to exacerbate tensions between Congress and the White House.

Lawmakers in the House will vote this week to limit Trump’s military powers amid intensifying friction with Tehran, marking a new and unexpected front in Democratic efforts to rein in a president they impeached just weeks ago on charges of abusing his office over foreign policy in Ukraine.

The “War Powers Resolution” arrives as questions swirl over when Pelosi will deliver the impeachment articles to the Senate, a step she’s declined to take before Republican leaders outline the trial parameters. Pelosi charged over the weekend that absent a serious effort to gather and weigh new evidence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) is merely an “accomplice” to Trump’s misconduct.

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The dueling debates carry the highest stakes and have rekindled the on-again, off-again branch battle over the separation of powers at the heart of the Constitution — a theme Pelosi is making central to the discussions over both Iran and impeachment.

“As Members of Congress, our first responsibility is to keep the American people safe,” the Speaker wrote to fellow Democrats on Sunday, announcing the war powers vote. “For this reason, we are concerned that the Administration took this action without the consultation of Congress and without respect for Congress’s war powers granted to it by the Constitution.”

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin Elissa SlotkinOvernight Defense: House chair announces contempt proceeding against Pompeo | Top general says military has no role in election disputes | Appeal court rejects due process rights for Gitmo detainees Top general: Military will play no role in resolving any electoral dispute Pelosi weighing bringing House back from August recess early over USPS issues: reports MORE (D-Mich.), comes in response to Trump’s decision last week to greenlight a drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Tehran’s top military commander. The legislation would prohibit U.S. military engagement with Iran after 30 days, unless Congress provides explicit approval.

Sen. Tim Kaine Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Catholic group launches .7M campaign against Biden targeting swing-state voters GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure MORE (D-Va.) has offered a similar measure in the Senate.

Democrats on Capitol Hill are also looking for other ways to push back, vowing to use other tools in the congressional toolbox.

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On Monday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffOvernight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Democrats, advocates seethe over Florida voting rights ruling MORE (D-Calif.), who led the three-month impeachment investigation into Trump, called for public hearings into how and why the Trump administration arrived at the decision to kill Soleimani. Other Democrats, including Rep. Gregory Meeks Gregory Weldon MeeksBottom line Democrats go big on diversity with new House recruits Chamber of Commerce, banking industry groups call on Senate to pass corporate diversity bill MORE (N.Y.), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, want House panels to investigate the intelligence behind the drone strike.

White House hopefuls and Senate candidates are getting involved, too.

Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (I-Vt.), a top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Rep. Ro Khanna Rohit (Ro) KhannaCongress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery DeJoy defends Postal Service changes at combative House hearing Biden unites Democrats — for now MORE (D-Calif.) are seeking to exercise Congress’s power of the purse, rolling out companion resolutions that would block Defense Department funding for further military action against Iran without congressional approval. The effort faces significant challenges given that Trump last month signed a bill funding the Pentagon through Sept. 30.

In a separate effort, Rep. Joe Kennedy Joseph (Joe) Patrick KennedyMassachusetts town clerk resigns after delays to primary vote count Bogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration Hillicon Valley: Election officials prepare for new Russian interference battle | 'Markeyverse' of online fans helps take down a Kennedy | GOP senators unveil bill to update tech liability protections MORE III (D-Mass.), who is seeking a Senate seat, called on Congress to repeal the use of military force authorizations that have governed the Pentagon’s fight against global terrorism for almost two decades. Like Pelosi, he’s leaning hard on the legal arguments outlined in the nation’s founding document.

“The U.S. Constitution explicitly grants only Congress the ability to declare war,” Kennedy wrote to Pelosi on Monday.

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Democrats’ strategy should become clearer on Wednesday, when both the House and Senate will receive all-member briefings on the Iran situation from Defense Secretary Mark Esper Mark EsperOvernight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Oldest living US World War II veteran turns 111 Overnight Defense: US marks 19th anniversary of 9/11 attacks | Trump awards Medal of Honor to Army Ranger for hostage rescue mission | Bahrain, Israel normalizing diplomatic ties MORE, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Trump's foreign policy successes confound his detractors It's time for a Jackson-Vanik Amendment for China MORE, CIA Director Gina Haspel Gina Cheri HaspelRussian bounties revive Trump-GOP foreign policy divide Overnight Defense: House panel votes to ban Confederate flag on all Pentagon property | DOD report says Russia working to speed US withdrawal from Afghanistan | 'Gang of Eight' to get briefing on bounties Thursday Top intelligence officials to brief Gang of Eight on Thursday MORE and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Both the impeachment and Iran debates have largely broken down along party lines, with Trump and his Republican allies pushing back hard on critics across the aisle. They’re framing impeachment as a political “witch hunt” designed to harm Trump’s reelection prospects, while defending the strike on Soleimani as a victory in the effort to quash America’s enemies.

“This is a strike against terror,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup Brad Robert WenstrupThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally One doctor's thoughts on a hopeful future Lawmakers urge administration to remove tariffs on European wine and spirits amid coronavirus pandemic MORE (R-Ohio), a surgeon who served in the Iraq War, said Monday in an interview with Fox Business Network. “Just because the man wears a uniform, under the guise of a military uniform, does not mean he’s not a terrorist.”

Trump fought back as well, vowing in an all-caps tweet on Monday that Tehran “will never have a nuclear weapon!” He also amplified his attacks on the Democrats’ “impeachment hoax,” urging a quick end to the process in the Senate.

“Get this done. It is a con game by the Dems to help with the Election!” he tweeted.

Pelosi, though, has shown no signs of backing down. On Monday, her strategy appeared to bear fruit when John Bolton John BoltonThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep DOJ launches probe into Bolton book for possible classified information disclosures Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE, Trump’s former national security adviser who had refused to testify in the House impeachment investigation, reversed course to say he would provide testimony in the Senate impeachment trial if subpoenaed.

The shift puts fresh pressure on McConnell to hear from new witnesses with insights into Trump’s dealings with Kyiv. A member of McConnell’s leadership team, Sen. John Cornyn John CornynSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Republican Senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal MORE (R-Texas), said Monday he was open to having Bolton testify before the Senate in a closed-door setting.

“I have no objection to his testifying, either by deposition or some pre-recorded testimony. But to me it just represents an admission that what they’ve presented so far is pretty thin gruel,” Cornyn told reporters in the Capitol. “What the Senate ought to try to avoid is the circus-like atmosphere that we’ve seen characterize the House’s activity.”

Top Democrats argued that Bolton’s willingness to testify, coupled with the disclosure of a new tranche of emails linking Trump directly to the hold on Ukraine aid, represents a vindication for Pelosi’s go-slow strategy on shipping the articles to the Senate.

“Had we sent them over immediately, this opportunity would not have likely presented itself. McConnell would have immediately dispensed with the articles before we left for the holiday break,” said a senior House Democratic aide. “It’s additional proof that the strategy of sitting on them has worked and is working.”

Jordain Carney contributed.