The United States Senate is expected to vote on a War Powers Resolution on Wednesday afternoon, requiring President Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations in Iran—a vote that could very likely be the most consequential foreign policy decision in a generation.
Senators Tim Kaine of Virginia (D), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York (D), and Adam Schiff of California (D) announced on Tuesday that the Senate would hold the vote this Wednesday on the matter, as Democrats attempt to suppress the administration’s hand on the use of military force in the region.
The resolution, introduced on Jan. 29, would halt U.S. participation in hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress, while still permitting the United States to defend itself or Israel from an Iranian attack.
The resolution’s urgency was elevated during the weekend when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran early Saturday morning, without a formal congressional declaration of war or a public address to the nation from the president.
The strikes—and subsequent Iranian retaliatory attacks—have resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with top Iranian government and military officials, and six U.S. service members in Kuwait when an Iranian missile landed in a temporary operating base supporting U.S. sustainment operations.
A Partisan Clash
Congress attempted to reclaim war powers authority during Vietnam by passing the War Powers Act in 1973, though multiple administrations from both parties have never formally recognized the act as constitutional.
Congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill have accused the White House of unilaterally bringing the nation into another “prolonged conflict” in the Middle East. Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ), a former presidential candidate, called the president “reckless” on Wednesday, warning that the administration is risking an increase in gas prices due to the conflict.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said in a press conference on Tuesday, “Americans want President Trump to lower prices—not drag us into unnecessary forever wars,” “Yet he has unilaterally launched strikes at Iran without congressional authorization, failed to articulate a clear strategy, and callously said he doesn’t ‘have the yips about boots on the ground.”
The majority of Republicans, on the other hand, have countered their colleagues, arguing that congressional Democrats were largely mute over former President Barack Obama’s unilateral strikes on the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011, and Yemen and Somalia throughout his term in office.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, signaled that Republicans would largely support the president.
“I suspect you’ll see overwhelming support from elected Republicans in the Congress,” Cotton said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.
The Math Works Against It
Despite bipartisan backing on paper, the resolution faces a steep climb.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, Kaine can force a vote on a motion to discharge the measure from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a simple majority. But history is not on his side—last June, a similar Iran war powers resolution fell short 47 to 53 after the White House ordered a fleet of B-2 bombers to knock out Iranian nuclear facilities.
In the aftermath of the Maduro raid, a Venezuela war powers resolution in January initially gained five Republican votes, but was ultimately quashed after the White House intervened to pressure two of those senators to flip their votes.
Congress has now voted on seven war powers resolutions since June—all seven have failed.
Cracks within both parties complicate the count further as Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of the resolution’s House sponsors and a frequent Trump critic, argued the conflict is not “America First”—suggesting rare Republican dissent.
On the Democratic side, however, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) said he plans to vote against the resolution, calling it “really an empty gesture.”
Fetterman has at times fallen out with his Democrat colleagues over his enthusiastic support of Israel.
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Washington’s most influential figure on Capitol Hill, stated ahead of the vote on Tuesday that President Trump has all the power he needs under the Constitution to conduct military strikes beyond the 60-day window set by the War Powers Act.
Whether Congress can or will act remains uncertain. What is not uncertain is that American troops are in harm’s way, and Washington is divided over who can give the order for conflict in a new Middle East theater now open.
