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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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Nearly every Senate Republican voted on Wednesday to thwart a measure that would have reined in President Donald Trump's power to continue waging war on Iran. The bill, which was struck down with a 53-to-47 vote, would have forced the president to seek authorization from Congress to continue the offensive in the Middle East.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Saturday, killing the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several senior officials. The two countries have continued carrying air strikes on Iran through the following days, as the Middle Eastern country launched retaliatory bombardment and the conflict spilled out into the region.
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United Nation (U.N.) human rights experts, among several others, condemned the U.S-Israeli strikes on Iran as “unlawful,” and the legality of the attack was questioned by U.S. lawmakers as well.
While Trump has the broad authority to launch military action without issuing a formal declaration of war, Congress must legally be notified within 48 hours of hostilities beginning. While House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said that a small group of lawmakers were notified within the required time frame, many argued they were left in the dark.
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What To Know
The bid struck down on Wednesday, pushed forward by Democrats, would have limited Trump’s power to continue the war in Iran without congressional authorization.
The vote split almost perfectly along party lines. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote in support of the resolution; Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, on the other hand, was the only Democrat to break with his party and vote against the measure, in keeping with his pro-Israel stance.
This is how each senators voted on Wednesday:
The war in Iran is expected to continue, though it is not certain how long. Trump initially spoke of a period between four to five weeks, but on Monday said it could “go on far longer than that.”
The Trump administration has also gone back and forth on the reasons for striking Iran in the first place, with different officials offering opposing rationales for the war.
On Tuesday, Trump said the war was the result of failed negotiations “with these lunatics,” adding that the Iranians “were going to attack first.” A day earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told reporters that the U.S. intervened ahead of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran that would have led to a likely retaliatory attack on American forces.
Trump has said no U.S. troops will be sent on the ground in Iran. So far, six U.S. soldiers have died in the conflict since the U.S. launched so-called “Operation Epic Fury,” according to the Pentagon.
What People Are Saying
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a Democrat, said on Wednesday, as quoted by The New York Times: “Americans want President Trump to lower prices, not drag us into unnecessary forever wars. Yet he has unilaterally launched strikes at Iran without congressional authorization.”
Senator Adam B. Schiff of California, a Democrat, said ahead of the vote on Wednesday: “I believe the founders’ worst fears have come to pass. Donald Trump has become too fond of going to war, and has done so again without congressional authorization.”
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Democrat, said ahead of the vote, as reported by The Guardian: “The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Republicans have learned nothing. Decades of American hubris in the Middle East, believing that U.S. troops, U.S. planes, U.S. guns and U.S. bombs could fundamentally change realities in a far off land. Democrats have learned our lesson.”
Senator John Curtis of Utah, a Republican, said: “I will say very clearly: yes, I wish I would have been consulted. I wish my vote would have been asked for before this. But the president did act within his legal bounds to do what he has done.”
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, said: “We’re here to settle the account with the Iranian regime. It was clear during those negotiations that Iran is wedded to its agenda. The ayatollah is a religious Nazi. He’s no more likely to give up his agenda than Hitler was.”
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican former Senate leader, said: “As I’ve explained so many times over the years, the powers of the president for the use of military force, with or without prior congressional approval, are actually well established. President Trump’s use of force to end Iran’s war of terror is squarely within his inherent authorities as commander-in-chief.”
What Happens Next
The House, where the resolution is assumed to have more bipartisan support, is set to vote on the same measure on Thursday.
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