US Senate rejects measure to curb Trump’s Iran war powers, thwarting bid to rein in military escalation

The US Senate voted down a resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump’s authority to take military action against Iran.

According to CBS on the 18th (local time), the Senate rejected the resolution to restrict war powers related to Iran by 47 votes in favor to 53 against.

The measure was spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and sought to prevent any expansion of military action against Iran without explicit congressional authorization. It also included a provision calling for the withdrawal of US forces from Iran-related military operations.

The vote was pushed by Democrats but failed to pass after a handful of defections. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against it, while Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted in favor.

The result marked the Senate’s third rejection in the past year of efforts to rein in Trump’s Iran-related military authority.

Democrats say they will continue to press oversight over the risk of escalation. Booker said, “The Senate has not done what it needed to do,” adding, “I will raise this issue using every means available.”

Sen. Chris Murphy also criticized the administration, saying, “The government is avoiding public hearings because it fears losing support for the war,” adding that “it will be difficult to justify this war.”

The Trump administration and Republicans, however, argue that the president acted within existing authorities. In a letter to Congress, Trump wrote that “we tried a diplomatic solution, but the threat reached an unmanageable level.”

As the Iran war enters its fourth week, Trump has not ruled out deploying ground troops, but has not indicated a specific end date.

With Congress’s bid to check the administration thwarted by the vote, debate is expected to continue over the scope of the executive branch’s future military response.