WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday rejected a war powers resolution aimed at restricting President Donald Trump’s ability to take further military action against Iran.
The vote was 47-53, short of the simple majority needed to bring the resolution to the full Senate.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting against it, while Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to join Democrats in voting yes.
The resolution, authored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., calls for withdrawing “the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for the use of military force.”
The House on Thursday is expected to reject a similar resolution on war powers.
Kaine and other Democrats have pointed out that the Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, and that Trump and his top officials call it war.
“You cannot stand up and say this is a pinprick that does not lead to the level that would be characterized as war. You cannot stand up and say this is done, and there are no troops engaged in hostilities against Iran. Members of the Senate, this is war!” Kaine said in a speech before the vote.
“The president of the United States has called it a war against Iran. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Caine, has called it a war against Iran. Secretary Rubio, our Secretary of State, has called it a war against Iran… It is a war,” Kaine said.
The pair of votes represent Congress’ first attempts to rein in Trump since he ordered strikes over the weekend in Iran.
The initial joint operation with Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many of his top lieutenants, and severely damaged the country’s military capabilities. Trump has not set a timetable for the war, saying it could last four to five weeks or even longer.
“Whatever it takes,” he said Monday.
The votes also gave lawmakers their first opportunity to substantively debate the Iran war in the House and Senate. But the failure of the resolutions gives Trump implicit authorization to continue waging his war in Iran.
Iran retaliated against America’s Arab allies in the region, resulting in the deaths of six American service members. Four have since been publicly identified as Army reservists; the other two have not done so yet.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a former chairman of the Armed Services Committee who had personally urged Trump to attack Iran, warned his Senate colleagues that adopting Kaine’s resolution would handcuff the president in the middle of a war.
“A system will be put in place where 535 people, after 60 days, will become commanders in chief, crippling this nation’s ability to defend itself,” Graham said of the 535 members of Congress.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 allows a president to involve the military in an armed conflict as long as he notifies Congress within 48 hours, and provides 60 days to begin a withdrawal, unless Congress authorizes a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force.
Graham noted that the legislative branch still controls the strings of government. “If you want to stop this war, say, ‘We won’t pay for it,'” he said. “I wouldn’t agree with you, but at least it would be constitutional.”
