Senate For First Time Approves A War Powers Resolution In A Rebuke To Trump Over Iran Conflict

WASHINGTON — The Senate for nan first clip approved a warfare powers solution Tuesday seeking to artifact U.S. subject action against Iran, arsenic lawmakers warily watch President Trump’s efforts to resoluteness a conflict that nan management launched connected its ain and now needs Congress to fund.

It was nan 10th clip nan Senate has tried to extremity nan war, and nan outcome, connected a ballot of 50 to 48, was a stunning turnaround from past efforts. While nan solution is mostly symbolic, and does not afloat transportation nan unit of law, it reflects nan increasing concerns from a number of Republican lawmakers successful some nan House and Senate complete some nan warfare and nan woody Trump struck pinch Iran to extremity it. The House approved nan solution earlier this month.

“Time aft time, nan immense mostly of Senate Republicans sided pinch Trump and his warfare alternatively of nan American people,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Schumer said Americans person paid nan value for “Trump’s historical blunder successful Iran. It’ll spell down successful nan history books arsenic 1 of nan worst overseas argumentation forays America has ever made.”

In nan past, arsenic galore arsenic 4 GOP senators person voted for nan warfare powers resolutions, and they did truthful Tuesday — Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. One Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, voted against nan resolution.

On this vote, nan absence of 2 Republicans, including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was admitted to nan infirmary precocious for an undisclosed matter, near nan GOP without a afloat mostly to halt nan effort. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) besides missed nan vote.

The ballot besides comes arsenic nan Pentagon is seeking $80 cardinal from Congress, mostly for nan Iran warfare arsenic it backfills munitions and stockpiles.

Trump to meet senators arsenic Republicans balk astatine Iran deal

Trump himself is headed to nan Capitol this week to meet pinch GOP senators arsenic Vice President JD Vance has been overseas moving to discuss pinch Iran to extremity its atomic ambitions — which had been among nan stated rationales for nan war.

The president is not pleased pinch nan Republicans who person been captious of nan woody he struck pinch Iran, according to 1 GOP legislator granted anonymity to talk nan backstage dynamics.

The position of nan Iran woody are spelled retired successful a memorandum of knowing that Trump signed past week, starting a 60-day timepiece for nan sides to scope a broader statement complete ending Iran’s atomic program.

But Republicans person peculiarly objected to nan $300-billion money to thief Iran rebuild, which is acold greater than nan $1.7 cardinal then-President Obama refunded nan state nether his administration’s 2015 Iran deal.

“I judge President Trump is getting very mediocre proposal connected Iran,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said past week connected his podcast aft nan woody was made public.

Democrats person many times forced Iran votes

Over and again, Democrats person been forcing votes connected nan Iran war, almost since nan U.S. and Israel launched rocket strikes connected Iran connected Feb. 28.

Nearly each week they’re successful session, nan Senate Democrats person put guardant warfare powers resolutions, but they person grounded to amass nan mostly needed for transition successful nan narrowly divided chamber, wherever Trump’s Republican Party holds nan majority.

The House pushed its ain type to transition earlier this month, pinch 4 Republicans joining each Democrats successful approving nan warfare powers resolution, complete nan objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and nan GOP leadership.

While specified resolutions do not spell to nan president for his signature, transition stands arsenic a powerful, if symbolic, connection from Congress and a rebuke of nan administration’s subject actions.

Sen. Tim Kaine, nan Democrat from Virginia who has led his party’s efforts, said nan region successful warfighting, arsenic Trump’s squad useful to statement up a vulnerable ceasefire, provides nan cleanable clip for Congress to measurement backmost and measure “what should nan adjacent section be.”

Hegseth seeks $80 cardinal from Congress for nan Iran war

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is besides connected Capitol Hill this week, seeking astir $80 cardinal successful supplemental backing to statement up defense supplies successful nan aftermath of nan Iran war, which is drafting scrutiny erstwhile galore Americans are reeling from precocious state prices and costs of living.

The Pentagon early connected had estimated nan warfare costs $11.3 cardinal during its first week, and experts person put nan wide value tag astatine adjacent to $100 billion.

The Defense Department’s backing petition is portion of a broader beef-up of subject money nan White House wants arsenic portion of its fund petition this year.

The Trump management is seeking $1.5 trillion successful defense backing this twelvemonth — a 50% summation — including $350 cardinal that it wants successful a alleged fund reconciliation package. Johnson and GOP leaders are moving to walk that package connected their own, complete nan objections of Democrats, overmuch nan measurement they approved Trump’s large taxation cuts measure past year.

The 2025 taxation cuts package besides included a sizable summation of astir $175 cardinal for nan military.

Mascaro writes for nan Associated Press.