Washington — The Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution previously approved by the House that seeks to limit President Trump’s authority over military action involving Iran, a rare bipartisan check on his approach to the conflict and the first time such a measure has cleared both chambers.
The measure was approved 50 to 48, with four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky — breaking with most of their party to vote alongside nearly all Senate Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the lone Democrat to vote against it. Two Republican senators, Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick, did not cast votes.
The resolution instructs the president to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran” unless Congress formally declares war or authorizes military force. Because it is a concurrent resolution, it does not go to the president for a signature. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president is required to pull U.S. forces out of hostilities “if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.”
Still, Tuesday’s vote is expected to have limited practical effect. The Trump administration maintains that U.S. troops are not presently engaged in hostilities with Iran, and some officials have argued that the War Powers Resolution itself is unconstitutional.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the sponsor of the resolution, said he intends to “explore all legal avenues to ensure the Executive complies with the will of Congress.”
“Regardless of what President Trump says, this measure is binding under the War Powers Resolution,” Meeks said in a statement following the Senate vote. “Congress never authorized this failed war, and the president certainly has no authority to continue it indefinitely without our consent as the Constitution demands.”
Ahead of Tuesday morning’s vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged GOP senators to side with Democrats, framing the vote as another chance to force Republicans to publicly state “whether they want Trump’s disastrous war to continue.”
“Republicans can complain about Trump’s war, his secrecy and his disastrous deal with Iran all they want behind closed doors,” the New York Democrat said. “But the only way to ensure this war ends once and for all is for Republicans to act.”
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When the House adopted the measure on June 3, four Republicans and all Democrats voted in favor, after three previous failed attempts to rein in Mr. Trump on Iran. The measure’s passage also came after GOP leaders abruptly pulled the vote before Memorial Day when it became clear that they did not have the votes to block it.
Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Warren Davidson of Ohio voted with Democrats on passage. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who has voted against the three previous failed attempts, also dropped his opposition and voted for the measure, giving his party unanimity on the issue for the first time.
In the Senate, Tuesday’s vote marked the tenth time Senate Democrats have forced a war powers vote since the war began in late February, putting pressure on the GOP as support for the war has become shakier. On the eighth attempt, the Senate advanced a resolution led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia to limit Mr. Trump’s war powers in Iran in a 50 to 47 vote. The same four Republicans who supported Tuesday’s concurrent resolution voted to advance Kaine’s war powers measure last month, while three GOP members’ absences tipped the scales in Democrats’ favor.
Kaine’s measure has to survive additional votes in the Senate before it would head to the House. The timing on the next vote remains unclear, but Schumer said last week that Democrats are trying to pick off more Republicans before moving forward. Tuesday’s outcome may be the encouragement Democrats need to force their next vote on Kaine’s measure, a joint resolution, which would require the president’s signature.
The last war powers vote in the Senate on a resolution from Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia narrowly failed to advance due to three absences among Democrats.
