Senate Rejects Iran War Powers Resolution 47 to 53 on Party Lines

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan resolution to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes the war, voting 47 to 53 against beginning debate, Foreign Policy reported. NBC News reported that Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote yes and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Democrat to vote no.

The measure, introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, would have directed the removal of forces from hostilities “within or against Iran” absent a declaration of war or specific authorization. Kaine argued that Congress alone holds the power to declare war and said that Trump, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have all called the conflict a war. “Members of the Senate, this is war!” he said on the floor, according to NBC News.

Opponents made a constitutional and practical case. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had urged Trump to strike Iran, said the resolution would tie the president’s hands in the middle of a war and warned that after 60 days, “535 people” would effectively become commander in chief, NBC News reported. He said that if lawmakers wanted to end the war they could refuse to pay for it, which he called constitutional even though he would oppose it. Former Republican leader Mitch McConnell called the conflict not a new beginning but an “intent to end one” that spans nearly half a century, and said “this war belongs to the mullahs in Tehran,” Foreign Policy reported.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer framed the vote as a question of “whether senators are ready to send your sons and your daughters into harm’s way,” adding that “the last thing the American people want or need is another war in the Middle East,” according to Foreign Policy. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had voted with Democrats on related resolutions earlier, did not do so this time, Foreign Policy said.

The vote came days after the strikes Trump ordered over the weekend. The initial joint operation with Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iranian retaliation against U.S. allies has so far killed six U.S. service members, four of them identified as Army reservists, NBC News said. Trump has said the campaign could last “four to five weeks” or longer, and said “whatever it takes” on Monday.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing forces and sets a 60-day timeline for withdrawal unless Congress authorizes the action, NBC News noted. The House was expected to vote down a similar resolution on Thursday, NBC News said.

Foreign Policy reported that the vote ends, for now, Senate efforts to halt the war under the 1973 law, though an expected Pentagon request to Congress for emergency war funding would give opponents more leverage.