Key lawmakers in Congress are dismissing concerns over a looming deadline tied to U.S. military action against Iran, even as 60 days have passed since Operation Epic Fury began.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled skepticism that Congress needs to take action at all, while Senate Republicans similarly showed little urgency about the timeline.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth argued that the timeline effectively halted when President Trump declared a cease-fire on April 7.

“We are in a cease-fire right now,” Hegseth said Thursday during Senate testimony. “The 60-day clock pauses or stops in a cease-fire … that’s our understanding, just so you know.”

The War Powers Act of 1973 allows presidents to engage in military operations for up to 60 days without congressional approval, after which authorization is required to continue combat operations.

While the law permits an additional 30 days to facilitate a safe withdrawal of U.S. forces, it does not allow for continued offensive action beyond that window.

Pressed by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) during a Senate hearing about whether the administration would seek authorization, Hegseth declined to provide a direct answer.

“I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that,” Hegseth told Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) during a Senate hearing when asked if Trump would ask Congress for reauthorization.

The White House has avoided giving a clear indication as to whether the president intends to formally extend operations or request congressional approval to proceed.

“President Trump has been transparent with the Hill since before Operation Epic Fury began, and administration officials provided over 30 bipartisan briefings for members of Congress to keep them apprised of military updates,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Post.

“The president’s preference is always diplomacy, and Iran wants to make a deal.”

Since the April 7 cease-fire announcement, administration officials have been engaged in negotiations with Iran aimed at securing a lasting resolution to the conflict.

At the same time, the U.S. has maintained a blockade targeting Iranian vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor that handles more than 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil shipments each year.

Observers have noted that past administrations have taken similar approaches. In 2011, President Barack Obama continued U.S. participation in NATO operations in Libya beyond the 60-day limit without explicit congressional authorization.

Johnson pointed to the current cease-fire as a key reason he believes no additional congressional action is required.

“I don’t think we have any active kinetic military bombing, firing, anything like that,” the speaker, a trained constitutional lawyer, told NBC. “Right now, we’re trying to broker a peace. And it would be, I would be very reluctant to get in front of the administration in the midst of these very sensitive negotiations.”

He emphasized that the situation does not constitute an active war.

“We’re not at war,” he added. “We’re policing the Strait of Hormuz and trying to get to a peace. The president and the administration are moving as aggressively as possible. There’s nothing Congress can do to move that along any further.”

At the same time, administration officials confirmed ongoing discussions with lawmakers about the War Powers Act, while cautioning against politicizing the issue.

“The administration is in active conversations with the Hill on this topic. Members of Congress who try to score political points by usurping the commander-in-chief’s authority would only undermine the United States military abroad, which no elected official should want to do,” a White House official told The Post.

On Thursday, the Senate took up its sixth resolution under the War Powers Act seeking to halt military operations against Iran, but the measure failed, with a 47-50 vote.

{Matzav.com}