US Senate advances measure curbing Trump’s Iran war powers, nearly along party lines |
The US Senate advanced a war powers resolution on Tuesday that would end the Iran war unless President Donald Trump obtains Congress’s authorization, a rare rebuke of the Republican leader 80 days after US and Israeli forces began striking the Islamic Republic.
Since Trump ordered the attack on Iran at the end of February, Democrats have forced repeated votes on such resolutions. Republicans had previously been able to muster the votes to reject those proposals, but Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy — fresh off a primary election loss in which Trump endorsed his opponent — switched sides.
The 50-47 vote tally showed that a small but growing number of Republicans are willing to challenge Trump on the Iran war, even though the effort may not advance much further. Three Republicans were absent Tuesday and their votes would be enough to defeat the measure, if they maintain their stance on the war.
Still, the vote showed how Republicans are increasingly uneasy with a conflict that shows no signs of ending, is locked in a fragile ceasefire, and is causing rising gas prices in the US.
“Republicans are starting to crack, and momentum is building to check him,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the vote. “We are not letting up.”
Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had all previously voted for similar war powers resolutions and did so again Tuesday. Cassidy supported the legislation for the first time, while Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was again the only Democrat to vote against it.
After his primary election loss last week, Cassidy returned to Washington defiant. He said he........