Senate Passes Iran War Powers Resolution, Rebuking Trump
The Senate approved a war powers resolution Tuesday seeking to block U.S. military action against Iran.
It was the chamber's 10th attempt to do so. This time, it actually passed.
A Decade of Failed Votes Finally Breaks Through
The resolution passed 50-48, a result lawmakers and aides described as a stunning turnaround from the nine previous attempts that all fell short.
The measure is largely symbolic and does not carry the full force of law, but it reflects growing unease among Republican lawmakers over both the war itself and the deal President Trump struck with Iran to end it, according to the Associated Press.
The House had already approved its own version of the resolution earlier this month, on June 3, by a vote of 215 to 208, Al Jazeera reported.
Tuesday's vote marked the first time a war powers resolution targeting the Iran conflict had cleared both chambers of Congress.
📰 Related: Trump Signs US-Iran Deal at Versailles, Ending 110-Day War
The Four Republicans Who Crossed Over
Four GOP senators joined nearly every Democrat in supporting the resolution: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
One Democrat broke the other direction. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against the resolution, siding with the administration.
The absence of two Republicans who have previously voted against advancing these resolutions tipped the math. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, recently hospitalized for an undisclosed matter, did not vote, and Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania also missed the vote.
📰 Related: Mitch McConnell Hospitalized as Health Questions Return Around Senate Veteran
Trump's Response and the Fight Over the Iran Deal Itself
President Trump responded angrily Tuesday night on Truth Social, calling the vote "poorly timed and meaningless" and writing that it "provided aid and comfort" to Iran.
He singled out the four Republicans directly, posting that they had "just made my job more difficult," according to NPR's account of his statement.
That frustration is tangled up with a separate fight. Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, have objected specifically to a $300 billion fund in Trump's Iran deal meant to help the country rebuild — a figure dramatically larger than the $1.7 billion the Obama administration had refunded Iran under its 2015 agreement.
Cruz said last week on his podcast that Trump is "getting very poor advice on Iran."
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The Money Question Behind the Vote
Underneath the political symbolism sits a much more concrete number.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is on Capitol Hill this week seeking roughly $80 billion in supplemental funding to restock munitions and supplies depleted during the war.
The Pentagon initially estimated the war's first week alone cost $11.3 billion. Senators have since cited outside estimates putting the full price tag of the operation at closer to $100 billion.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries seized on that figure Tuesday, saying, "We should not spend another dime of taxpayer dollars on Operation Epic Failure."
That funding request isn't isolated. It sits inside a broader White House push for $1.5 trillion in defense spending this year, a nearly 50% increase that includes $350 billion the administration wants folded into a budget reconciliation package Republican leaders are working to pass without Democratic votes.
What Comes Next
Trump is scheduled to meet with GOP senators at the Capitol on Wednesday, a session expected to center on smoothing over Republican objections to the Iran deal's terms.
The meeting comes as Vice President JD Vance continues working overseas to negotiate the details of ending Iran's nuclear program, one of the stated justifications for the war in the first place.
Because the resolution does not go to the president for a signature, nothing about troop deployment changes automatically. What changes is the documented record: for the first time, a majority in both chambers of Congress has now gone on record against the war Trump's administration launched and is still asking Congress to fund.
Key Takeaways
- The Senate approved a war powers resolution Tuesday on a 50-48 vote, the first time such a measure has passed after 10 previous attempts.
- Four Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Bill Cassidy — voted for it; Democrat John Fetterman voted against.
- Mitch McConnell, recently hospitalized, and Dave McCormick did not vote, removing two reliable opposition votes.
- Trump called the vote "poorly timed and meaningless" on Truth Social and criticized the four Republicans by name.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is seeking $80 billion in supplemental funding, as the war's full cost is estimated near $100 billion.
- Republicans, including Ted Cruz, have separately objected to a $300 billion fund in Trump's Iran deal to help the country rebuild.
Sources
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World News Correspondent
Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
