Senate defeats resolution to limit Trump's Iran war powers after Republican vote shift
The Senate voted 50-47 to reject a measure that would have required President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran, with two Republican senators joining Democrats in supporting the resolution.
The Senate rejected a resolution that sought to compel President Trump to pull U.S. forces from hostilities involving Iran, defeating the measure by a 50-47 vote. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in supporting the procedural motion, while Rand Paul voted present and John Fetterman voted against it.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, would have directed the president to remove U.S. armed forces from any engagement with Iran unless Congress authorized continued action. Had it passed both chambers, it would have required the president's signature, unlike a separate House-passed resolution that does not go to the president’s desk.
The outcome follows a shift among several Republican senators who had previously voted in favor of limiting the president’s war powers. Senate Republican Bill Cassidy, after a briefing on Iran by Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, said the discussion addressed many of his concerns and voted against advancing the resolution. Rand Paul, who had supported earlier Iran war-powers measures, voted present, stating he wanted to give the president “more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace.”
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso was reported to have played a role in securing the final votes. The vote comes as the Trump administration has extended a cease-fire with Iran for 60 days and announced plans for nuclear talks, a development that polling indicates is not widely supported by the American public.
