Iran war powers resolution fails in Senate

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans successfully blocked a war powers resolution seeking to stop the use of US military force in Iran without congressional authorization, as airstrikes in the region continue for the fifth day.

Senators voted 47-53 on the measure put forward by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman broke ranks with Democrats to oppose the resolution, while Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted in support of the measure.

Kaine’s war powers resolution provided Congress with its first opportunity to weigh in on the ongoing conflict in Iran, known within the Defense Department as Operation Epic Fury.

A similar resolution in the House, sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is set for a vote on Thursday. The measure — which calls for President Donald Trump to immediately cease hostilities —  will likely fail in the lower chamber, which has seen more dissent amongst hawkish Democrats. On Tuesday, six Democrats introduced a second resolution that gives the president 30 days to stop combat operations in Iran.

Even if passed by Congress, a war powers resolution is unlikely to garner the two-thirds majority needed from the House and Senate to withstand a presidential veto. But Kaine has maintained that even unsuccessful attempts at enacting a resolution could help influence the White House.

During a call with reporters on Sunday, Kaine said he was prepared to force subsequent votes on his bill as the conflict evolves in the coming weeks.

“If it fails, we could file another one, have another vote in two weeks,” he said. “We’re not blocked from continuing to file these resolutions. So if, as circumstances change, sometimes people will see things that concern them, and they’ll vote no. But then later, as events continue to develop, they may vote yes.”

Fetterman had made clear since the early hours of the conflict that he would oppose Democrat efforts to pass a war powers resolution, saying on Tuesday that the ongoing military operations had thwarted Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

“Yes, I’m the only Democrat [who supports the strikes], because I’m not afraid of my base to just say, ‘You know what? This was an overall a good thing,’” he said after a Tuesday afternoon briefing by senior Trump administration officials.

The president has the authority to use military force with or without congressional approval, argued former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who now leads the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, during a floor speech this morning.

“But there are risks involved. And I hope his Administration will work to explain the connection between the Commander-in-Chief’s worthy objectives and the military and diplomatic means to achieve them,” he said. “Connecting ends and means is the essence of strategy, and it’s important for the Administration to explain to the American people how they intend to do so.