Washington — The Senate on Tuesday approved a House-passed resolution aimed at reining in President Trump on Iran, marking the first time such a measure has made it through both chambers and signifying a rare rebuke of the president’s handling of the conflict.
In a 50 to 48 vote, four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined the bulk of Senate Democrats in support of the measure. One Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, opposed. Two Republicans — Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick — did not vote.
The resolution directs the president to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. The measure is a concurrent resolution, meaning it doesn’t require the president’s signature. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 says that the president must withdraw forces from hostilities “if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.”
But Tuesday’s resolution will likely be largely symbolic, since the administration argues that U.S. forces are not currently engaged in hostilities with Iran. Some administration officials have also said they consider the War Powers Resolution itself to be unconstitutional.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee who introduced the measure, said he plans 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,” he said in a statement after Senate passage. “Congress never authorized this failed war, and the president certainly has no authority to continue it indefinitely without our consent as the Constitution demands.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged Republicans to join Democrats to support the measure ahead of the vote Tuesday morning, previewing the effort to “once again put Republicans on the record on 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.”
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.
