By Elsie Kamsiyochi
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected yet another Democratic-led attempt to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations involving Iran without formal approval from Congress. Despite the failure of the measure, growing bipartisan backing suggests the political debate over presidential war powers is far from over.
In a closely watched vote, the Senate decided 50-49 against advancing a war powers resolution introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. The proposal sought to force an end to U.S. military involvement in the Iran conflict unless lawmakers formally approved continued action. Although the effort ultimately failed, it gained more Republican support than previous attempts, signaling a potential shift in momentum.
Three Republican senators — Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — broke with most members of their party to support advancing the measure. They joined nearly every Senate Democrat in backing the proposal. However, Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania sided with Republicans in opposing the effort, helping prevent it from moving forward.
The vote marked the seventh time in 2026 that Senate Republicans have blocked resolutions aimed at restricting Trump’s ability to continue military action against Iran without congressional authorization. Still, supporters of the measure argue that increasing Republican backing reflects mounting concern in Congress over the scope of executive military authority.
The timing of the vote carried particular significance because it came after the expiration of a key 60-day deadline outlined in the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a law designed to limit a president’s ability to engage in military conflict without congressional consent. Under the law, presidents may deploy military force for up to 60 days without approval from Congress. After that period, they must either seek authorization, withdraw troops, or request a limited extension for military necessity.
President Trump has argued that the deadline no longer applies, citing a ceasefire declaration issued on May 1. At the time, Trump stated that hostilities had effectively ended, describing the conflict as “terminated” following a temporary truce with Iran. The White House has maintained that the administration’s military actions fall within the president’s constitutional authority as commander-in-chief and are legally justified to protect American national security interests.
Democrats strongly disagree with that interpretation, arguing that the conflict remains active despite the ceasefire announcement. Senator Merkley pointed to continued military tensions, including U.S. naval operations, reported strikes involving Iranian vessels, and ongoing threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, as evidence that hostilities have not ended.
“There’s not a cessation of war hostilities,” Merkley said before the vote, arguing that military engagements between both sides continue in practice even if large-scale fighting has slowed. He insisted that the legal clock established under the War Powers Act should still apply and that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to determine whether the United States should remain engaged in a prolonged conflict.
Democratic lawmakers have increasingly criticized the administration for what they describe as an open-ended military campaign lacking a clearly defined long-term strategy. They argue that the Constitution grants Congress — not the president — the exclusive authority to declare war and warn that continued operations risk drawing the U.S. into a deeper regional conflict without sufficient oversight.
Republicans, meanwhile, largely defended Trump’s actions, emphasizing the president’s responsibility to respond quickly to threats and safeguard American interests abroad. Some GOP lawmakers accused Democrats of pushing repeated war powers resolutions primarily as a political effort to challenge Trump rather than out of genuine constitutional concern.
Senate Democrats say the fight is not over. Merkley and several colleagues announced plans to reintroduce similar resolutions repeatedly in the coming weeks, vowing to continue pressuring Congress to debate and vote on the legality of the administration’s Iran strategy. Parallel efforts in the House of Representatives have also faced Republican resistance, preventing broader legislative action so far.
As tensions over U.S. involvement in Iran continue, the Senate vote highlights a growing divide in Washington over how much power presidents should have to conduct military operations without direct approval from lawmakers — a debate that could intensify if the conflict escalates further.
Source Reuters
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