One Vote Short: Senate Rejects Democratic Effort to Limit Trump’s Iran Diplomacy Authority

The Senate handed President Trump another win on Tuesday. A Democrat-led war powers resolution intended to tie his hands on Iran failed to advance, falling one vote short. The motion to discharge the resolution from committee went down 47-48.

The headline of the afternoon centered on who helped end the effort. Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against the resolution, aligning with most Republicans and opposing his own party’s initiative.

The resolution, S.J.Res.172, known as the Warnock War Powers Resolution, would have directed President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran.

Four Republicans broke ranks to support the measure: Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul.

The House had passed its own concurrent war powers resolution on June 3 by a vote of 215-208, though this measure carries no legal force to bind the President.

The Senate rejected the motion to discharge the resolution. Officially, Republicans voting in favor included Cassidy, Collins, Murkowski, and Paul, while Fetterman was the sole Democrat who voted against it. Five senators did not participate in the vote: Michael Bennet, Cory Booker, Josh Hawley, Mitch McConnell, and Bernie Sanders.

The timing of the vote highlighted how disconnected the resolution had become from recent events. President Trump announced a diplomatic breakthrough on Sunday, including a 60-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Some lawmakers were still pressing for more details about the deal as they tried to clip his authority.

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