Senate GOP Reverses Course on Iran War Powers After Trump Capitol Meeting
Senate Republicans rejected a new Iran war powers resolution late Wednesday after President Donald Trump pressured GOP senators over earlier support for limits on his authority in the conflict.
The Senate Daily Press recorded the vote as 47-50, with one senator voting present, on a motion to proceed to S.J.Res.185. The measure would have directed the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against Iran that had not been authorized by Congress.
The vote marked a sharp political turn after the Senate had adopted a related House-approved war powers resolution a day earlier. Roll Call reported that Tuesday’s vote was 50-48, joining the House in calling for a halt to additional military action against Iran without congressional authorization.
The shift came after Trump met with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. AP reported that Trump berated GOP senators who had backed efforts to rein in his Iran war powers, with the late-night vote giving Republicans another chance to show support for the president’s position.
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The immediate consequence is that the latest Senate effort to advance a binding war powers measure failed. The broader consequence is political and constitutional. Congress remains split over whether to assert its authority over military action while the White House continues to defend its approach to Iran.
The stakes are also financial. Reuters reported that the Trump administration has asked Congress for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, with most of the request tied to the Iran war.
That makes the next fight likely to move from symbolic votes to appropriations, where lawmakers will decide whether to fund the military campaign even as some continue objecting to how it was authorized.
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