US Senate rejects another war powers resolution to limit Trump on Iran

Washington, DC – A resolution to rein in US President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war with Iran has failed for the fourth time in the US Senate, where lawmakers have pledged to introduce the measure weekly. The vote was the first since the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week. Subsequent talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed to yield a more lasting agreement, although both sides have signalled they are open to a second round.

Prior to the fighting pause, US President Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened to strike civilian infrastructure in Iran. His threat on April 7 that a “whole civilisation will die tonight”, just hours before an agreement had been reached, stoked further calls for Congress to constrain Trump on the war. As with past votes, the resolution on Wednesday failed mostly along party lines, 47-52, with one Republican, Rand Paul, voting in favour and one Democrat, John Fetterman, voting against.

Supporters of the resolution have maintained that Trump acted outside of constitutional authority in launching the war alongside Israel on February 28. The US Constitution reserves the decision to go to war for Congress, with presidents only able to unilaterally launch operations in instances of immediate self-defence. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has offered a carousel of explanations for going to war, including arguing that the totality of Iran’s actions since the Islamic revolution in 1979 represented an imminent threat to the US.

Speaking before Wednesday’s vote, US Senator Chris Murphy called the conflict a “bungled, mismanaged war” that has failed to achieve several of the administration’s stated goals. He further decried a lack of transparency from the Trump administration and oversight from Republicans in Congress. Senator Jim Risch, a Republican, maintained Trump was acting within his authority as president, dismissing the measure as “a same old, same old”.

He took an oath to defend the people of the United States of America,” he said. The US House of Representatives was expected to vote on its own resolution this week, with passage in the chamber considered more plausible, particularly given growing wariness of the war among some Republicans. The success of the resolution in either chamber would be largely symbolic.

Even if it passed both the House and the Senate, it could be vetoed by Trump. Both chambers would then need a likely insurmountable two-thirds vote to overcome the veto. However, lawmakers could face a larger test at the end of April, when the war hits its 60-day mark.