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Top Trump administration officials will brief Congress this week on US-Israeli strikes against Iran, amid anger from lawmakers who say the operations lacked proper congressional authorization.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, the United States Constitution outlines that only Congress has the power to officially declare war because Article I gives lawmakers (not the president) the authority to decide when a country formally enters a war. Despite this, the president can direct troops and respond quickly to emergencies or sudden attacks, but they are not supposed to launch a long-term war on their own without Congress. After the Vietnam War, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to limit presidential military power. That law says the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending US forces into combat, can only keep them there for 60 days without congressional approval (with a possible 30-day withdrawal period), and must remove the troops if Congress does not authorize the action.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are set to brief the full House and Senate in closed-door sessions this week on the scope and objectives of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Rubio and Ratcliffe are also scheduled to brief the “Gang of Eight” (congressional leadership and top intelligence committee members), whilekey leaders of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees have been invited to separate classified meetings. Lawmakers are expected to receive details on the targets hit, the intelligence assessments behind the operation, potential risks of escalation, and how long the mission could last, with President Trump signaling it may stretch for weeks.

The briefings come as some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are angry (mainly Democrats) who argue the strikes amount to an unauthorized war. Those lawmakers have raised issue with the fact that the Trump administration bypassed Congress and moved forward with strikes on Iran. Others have also pointed to reports that there was no intelligence showing Iran was about to attack US forces first.

In response, lawmakers are preparing for a vote on a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting or halting US military involvement in Iran unless Congress formally approves it. Sen. Tim Kaine is leading a bipartisan effort in the Senate alongside Sen. Rand Paul, while in the House, Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna are pushing a similar measure. If passed, the resolution would require the president to end US hostilities against Iran within the timeline set by the War Powers Resolution unless Congress votes to authorize the action. However, even if such a measure cleared both chambers, it would likely face a presidential veto.