US Senate votes 50-47 to advance resolution to curb Trump's Iran war powers

The Senate on Tuesday (May 19) voted to advance a war powers resolution seeking to compel President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran unless he secures congressional authorization to continue military operations. The measure passed 50-47, marking the first time the Senate has successfully moved the bill forward after seven previous failed attempts since the conflict started in February. Four Republicans joined nearly all Senate Democrats in backing the resolution.

Among them was Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who recently lost his primary race after Trump endorsed his challenger. Cassidy said concerns over the administration’s handling of the war influenced his vote. “While I support the administration’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark on Operation Epic Fury,” Cassidy wrote on social media after the vote. “In Louisiana, I’ve heard from people, including President Trump’s supporters, who are concerned about this war. Until the administration provides clarity, no congressional authorization or extension can be justified.”

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Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins also supported advancing the resolution, repeating their stance from earlier votes. Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman was the only Democrat to oppose the measure, while three Republicans did not cast votes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hailed the outcome as a sign that Republican resistance to Trump’s war strategy was weakening.

“Vote by vote, Democrats are breaking through Republicans’ wall of silence on Trump’s illegal war,” Schumer said in a statement. “For more than 80 days, Trump has dragged America into a costly, chaotic conflict with no plan, no objective, and no legal authority. Today proved our pressure is working: Republicans are starting to crack, and momentum is building to check him. We are not letting up.” Tuesday’s procedural victory is only the first step toward full passage of the resolution. Even if it clears both the Senate and House, Trump is widely expected to veto the measure.

Democrats, however, view the vote as an opportunity to force Republicans to publicly define their position on the increasingly unpopular conflict. Ahead of the vote, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who sponsored the bill, urged lawmakers to debate the long-term implications of the war. “The Senate should use this moment to do what we should have done before the war started, discuss the rationale, strategy, end state, and costs to American taxpayers and our economy,” Kaine said.