Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked yet another Democratic effort to rein in President Donald Trump’s authority to use military force against Iran, defeating the measure in a razor-thin 50-49 vote.
The failed motion marked the seventh time Senate Democrats have attempted to advance legislation limiting Trump’s war powers since the conflict with Iran erupted earlier this year. While the effort once again fell short, this round exposed growing cracks within the GOP conference as more Republicans broke ranks.
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined nearly every Democrat in voting to move the resolution forward. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was the lone Democrat to side with Republicans and oppose the measure.
Murkowski’s vote drew particular attention because she had previously opposed similar resolutions. Speaking to reporters after the vote, the Alaska Republican said she changed her position because the administration failed to provide Congress with additional clarity after a key 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution expired earlier this month.
“We’re in a different place than we were last time we voted on this,” Murkowski said, adding that lawmakers needed to “discuss our responsibilities” under federal war powers law.
The resolution, introduced by Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, sought to require the president to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities involving Iran unless Congress formally approved military action through a declaration of war or specific authorization.
At the center of the dispute is the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying armed forces into hostilities without prior authorization. The law also limits unauthorized military engagement to 60 days unless Congress approves an extension.
Democrats argued that the administration had exceeded its authority as the military confrontation with Iran stretched on. But the White House insisted the 60-day clock no longer applied after a ceasefire agreement was reached on April 7.
In a May 1 letter to congressional leaders, Trump declared that hostilities with Iran had “terminated,” effectively arguing that the legal timeline under the War Powers Resolution had ended.
Despite Democratic hopes that more Republicans would defect after the 60-day threshold passed, the measure ultimately failed once again, underscoring continued GOP support for Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict — even as concerns over congressional oversight continue to grow.
