Key facts
- The US Senate rejected a resolution to end the war in Iran without congressional authorization.
- The vote was 50-49.
- Most Republicans voted against the resolution, while most Democrats voted for it.
- Senator Ron Wyden stated the fight to end the war will continue.
- Senator Tim Kaine said Democrats will continue holding votes weekly.
- Senator Dan Sullivan believes the vote would remove American forces from the region.
The US Senate narrowly rejected a Democratic-led resolution on Thursday that would have aimed to end the war in Iran without congressional authorization. The vote was 49-50, largely along party lines, with most Republicans opposing the measure and nearly all Democrats voting for it. The resolution had passed the House of Representatives earlier with bipartisan support.
Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Andy Kim, pushed for the vote under the War Powers Resolution. This legislative tool allows lawmakers to bring such measures to the floor. Democrats are using the vote to highlight Republican divisions on the Iran war and its impact on energy prices, aiming to put GOP candidates on the record ahead of the November midterm elections.
Senator Ron Wyden acknowledged the ongoing challenge, stating, "We’re going to stay at it until we win." He noted that some senators are cautious about constitutional authority. Senator Tim Kaine echoed this, saying, "We’re going to keep doing them every week because we see Republican candidates out in the field now starting to change their position." He added that the number of Republicans supporting such measures has increased from one to five.
However, not all Republicans are convinced. Senator Dan Sullivan stated, "The war powers vote is about removing American forces from the region, and when there are troops in contact, I don’t believe in doing it." Senator Andy Kim, a former State Department official, expressed that Americans are "sick and tired of this reckless and expensive war." He cited a Congressional Budget Office report estimating the war cost nearly $40 billion in its first four months, resulting in at least 19 US service members killed and over 750 injured. Kim also noted that higher petrol prices have cost American households about $900 each since the war began.