The Senate on Wednesday rejected a Democratic-led Iran war powers resolution that known as for congressional approval for navy motion in opposition to Iran.
The procedural vote, which directed the removing of United States armed forces from hostilities inside or in opposition to Iran that haven’t been licensed by Congress, failed by a vote of 47 to 53.
Sen. Rand Paul, who co-sponsored the decision, was the one Republican to forged a vote in favor of it. Sen. John Fetterman was the one Democrat to vote in opposition to it.
A member of the U.S. forces at an undisclosed location participating in Epic Fury operations.
U.S. Central Command
This decision is not going to go ahead within the Senate, although Democrats have left open the potential for filling one other Iran struggle powers decision sooner or later.
It comes after current U.S. strikes on Iran that killed a number of Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran.
Democrats who compelled the vote stated Wednesday afternoon’s vote was necessary to get lawmakers on the report concerning the president’s authority to take navy motion in Iran.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer stands subsequent to an indication that includes a picture of President Donald Trump as he speaks to the press following a closed-door lunch assembly with Senate Democrats on the US Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026.
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
“In the present day each senator, each single one, will decide a facet: Do you stand with the American people who find themselves exhausted of ceaselessly wars within the Center East? Or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into one other struggle?” Minority Chief Chuck Schumer stated in a speech on the Senate flooring Wednesday morning.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who co-sponsored the invoice, stated acts of struggle want congressional approval.
“We will not afford to cover below a desk and let any president, Democrat or Republican, ship our greatest and brightest, our personal children, into struggle to threat their lives until now we have debated it, now we have decide it’s within the nationwide curiosity, now we have voted and thereby put our signature and our thumb print on the notion that it is value sending our greatest and brightest to threat their lives,” Kaine stated.
A variety of Republican senators supported the Trump administration’s actions in Iran and bashed the decision.
Republican Whip John Barrasso stated Wednesday that the decision would do nothing by “tie” President Donald Trump’s palms in Iran.
“Democrats would somewhat hinder President Trump than obliterate Iran’s nationwide nuclear program. Let that sink in. That is what the Democrats try to do. They wish to use the struggle powers act as a partisan battering ram,” Barrasso stated. “They’re coming to the Senate flooring right this moment to attempt to tie President Trump’s palms in a state of affairs in Iran that’s making America safer and making the world safer and the Democrats are undermining our safety at residence.”
Earlier this 12 months, an identical decision regarding navy motion in Venezuela passed an initial procedural test vote when a small handful of Republican senators voted with Democrats to maneuver it ahead. A few of these Republicans had been in the end swayed to revoke their assist for that laws throughout a vote on last passage, and the invoice was in the end defeated by Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote.
The Home is ready to vote by itself struggle powers decision later this week. The non-binding measure, launched by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, wouldn’t be topic to the president’s signature or veto if it handed each homes of Congress.
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson speaks throughout a information convention on Capitol Hill, March 4, 2026 in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
On Wednesday, Johnson expressed confidence that Republicans will defeat the Home’s struggle powers decision, regardless of some reservations expressed by a handful of conservatives. Republicans maintain a razor-thin majority within the Home, so it will solely take a couple of defections for the invoice to go.
“I believe passage of a struggle powers decision proper now can be a horrible, harmful concept,” Johnson warned. “It will empower our enemies. It will kneecap our personal forces, and it will take the power of the U.S. navy and the commander in chief away from finishing this essential mission to maintain everyone protected.”
ABC Information’ John Parkinson and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
