US Senate rejects Iran war-powers resolution for fourth time
The US Senate has once again blocked a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war in Iran, marking the fourth time the measure has failed to clear the chamber.
In a 52-47 vote on Thursday, the Republican-led Senate rejected the war-powers measure. If passed, the resolution would have forced a halt to US military action in the conflict unless the President received explicit congressional approval.
The vote comes as the conflict approaches a critical legal window. Following the start of US-Israel strikes on February 28, federal law requires congressional authorization for military actions to continue beyond 60 days. With that deadline pending, Democrats have vowed to keep the issue at the forefront of the legislative agenda.
"If we're unsuccessful, at least we'll make clear to the American people who owns this war," Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia told the BBC.
The count largely followed party lines, with nearly every Republican standing in lockstep with the President.
However, the opposition was not entirely uniform. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the lone Democrat to vote against the measure, while Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky broke ranks to vote with the Democrats for the fourth time.
The White House has signaled that the conflict may be nearing a conclusion.
In an interview with Fox aired on Wednesday, President Trump stated that the war was "close to over." Despite this, the US military maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.
While most Republicans have consistently blocked these resolutions, the 60-day legal threshold remains a point of contention. Senator Paul suggested that party loyalty might shift if the engagement is prolonged.
"I think that after 60 days, there may be a few more Republicans [who] join me," Paul told the BBC.
Under current law, the White House can extend the 60-day deadline by an additional 30 days if it cites specific national security concerns.
Some Republicans expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution rather than a legislative one.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said it is in the best interests of the country to end the conflict quickly.
He told the BBC he hoped ongoing talks would succeed within the next few days.
"That would be ideal," Hawley said.
Democrats, however, said they plan to introduce similar measures every week, regardless of the expected outcome. They argued that the weekly votes are necessary to ensure each lawmaker’s stance on the war is recorded for the public.
