Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked another attempt by Democrats to limit President Donald Trump's war powers regarding Iran, despite growing concerns over costs and casualties. The war powers resolution, introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., failed to secure enough Republican votes to force the administration to seek congressional authorization for military actions in the Middle East.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who had previously been a decisive vote in advancing a similar measure, ultimately opposed Van Hollen's effort, stating it was "impractical to, like, withdraw tomorrow." Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was the only Republican to vote in favor of the resolution. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., who have previously voted with Democrats on war powers, did not vote on this occasion.
Van Hollen argued that if the U.S. had achieved victory in its conflict with Iran in March, as President Trump stated, then American service members should not continue to be killed and energy prices should not be surging. He characterized the continued conflict as a "senseless war."
Republicans, such as Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., urged Democrats to acknowledge the threat posed by Iran, emphasizing the country's alleged intentions against the U.S. and its citizens. "They want all of us dead," Sheehy stated on the Senate floor. "They want us to be raped, burned alive, and cut into pieces."
In the House of Representatives, Democrats had previously succeeded in passing their own war powers resolution, garnering support from four Republican members. President Trump has asserted that Iran's military capabilities have been crippled by U.S. forces, and technical discussions for nuclear negotiations are reportedly set to resume.