The Senate voted Tuesday to advance a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, giving Democrats their first procedural breakthrough after seven earlier failed attempts.
Senators approved a motion to discharge the resolution from committee in a 50-47 vote. Four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — joined most Democrats in supporting the move.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against advancing the measure.
The resolution, led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, would direct the president to “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.”
The vote was only an initial step in the Senate. CBS News reported that even if both chambers approved the resolution, Trump would be expected to veto it. Democrats said the vote still carried weight because it could force a broader debate over presidential war powers and U.S. military action involving Iran.
Trump told lawmakers at the White House on Tuesday that the United States would “end the war very quickly” with Iran and repeated that Tehran would never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. His comments came hours after the Senate advanced the measure seeking to limit his authority to continue military strikes on Iran without congressional approval.
The president has in recent days alternated between signaling openness to negotiations and warning that the United States may launch “another big hit” against Iran if talks fail.
Kaine said in a broadcast on X that it had been 80 days since Trump launched what Kaine called an “illegal war against Iran.” He said Congress had the power to “slam the brakes” on the conflict.
“Today should be the day when the Senate tells the President to stop his disastrous war,” Kaine said.
After the vote, Kaine said in a separate statement on X that Trump’s “deeply unpopular war of choice in Iran” had imposed “a tremendous cost on the American people,” including what he described as deaths and injuries of U.S. service members and soaring gas prices.
Kaine said senators had been forcing votes for several weeks to ensure a debate over whether continuing the conflict was in the national interest.
“I’m grateful that today, enough of my colleagues stood up for the Constitution and listened to their constituents,” Kaine said.
He said the vote sent “a strong message” to Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Cabinet officials that Americans “aren’t interested in more war in the Middle East.”
Cassidy’s vote marked the first time he supported advancing a war powers resolution, according to CBS News. The report said the vote came days after he failed to gain enough support to advance to a runoff in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary, where Trump endorsed one of his opponents.
Three Republicans — Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — did not vote, helping shift the outcome in Democrats’ favor.
Before the vote, Kaine told reporters he could not predict whether additional Republicans would support the resolution. But he said lawmakers were hearing growing concern from voters.
“But I do know this: I know what we are all hearing from our constituents, and that is, they are deeply opposed to this war,” Kaine said, according to CBS News.
The vote came after Trump said Monday that the United States would not proceed with “scheduled” attacks on Iran on Tuesday. He also said he had been “an hour away” from deciding whether to order new strikes.
Kaine said the threat made it “the perfect time” for Congress to hold a discussion about the rationale and plan for U.S. action involving Iran.
The Virginia Democrat also pointed to the economic toll of the conflict, including high gas prices ahead of Memorial Day travel.
“We’re coming up on Memorial Day. A lot of people do a lot of driving, they’re going to be paying a lot for gas — a whole lot more than they paid last year, and they remember that,” Kaine said.
Kaine said public opposition “is really hardening right now,” adding that voter pressure could eventually help the resolution pass.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Republicans to support the measure, saying no president should be able to take the country into war without congressional authorization.
In a post on X, Schumer said Democrats would bring the War Powers Resolution to the floor “for the EIGHTH time” and called on Republicans to “vote yes” to end what he described as Trump’s war with Iran.
“Republicans, it’s time to break the cycle — support our war powers resolution,” Schumer said, according to CBS News. “No president, no president should be able to drag this country into war alone.”
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