The Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution directing the president to remove military forces from the conflict with Iran, a significant rebuke to Donald Trump and a strong message that the war lacks support in Congress.
Democrats have repeatedly forced votes in both the House and Senate to limit Trump’s war powers — a campaign that has gradually gained more GOP support in recent weeks, increasing the president’s ire.
GOP senators Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy joined Democrats in voting in favor of the resolution, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted against it. The final tally was 50–48. The absence of GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick, who previously voted against advancing war powers resolutions, contributed to the measure’s adoption.
Trump called the vote “badly timed and meaningless” in a statement Tuesday night. Post on Truth Social.
He said the Senate has “provided support and comfort” by adopting the resolution. [to] Enemy.”
“The four Republican losers voted with the Democrats, and Iran asked my people, ‘What does this mean?’ “These senators have made my job more difficult, but I will get it done one way or another.”
The measure passed the House earlier this month. But because it is known as a concurrent resolution, it does not require the President’s signature and, by definition, does not have the force of law.
A White House official dismissed the Senate vote, saying the proposal had “no merit” and blaming the “absence of Republicans” for adopting the measure.
“Concurrent resolutions do not go to the President and have no force of law,” the official said.
The official said the resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran, “yet there is no hostilities from which U.S. forces can be removed, as hostilities ended with the April 7 ceasefire.”
A House Democratic aide who has been involved in the effort to pass the war powers resolution told CNN earlier this month that he believed the measure would be binding and that working on it would be a legal matter.
it is 10th The Senate has voted on the Iran war powers measure since the beginning of the year. A proposal was put forward by Senate leadership last month, but has not yet had a follow-up vote on it as Democrats work to ensure they have the support needed to pass it.
The House passed the concurrent resolution 215-208, with four House Republicans voting with the Democrats and immediately drawing the wrath of the President. Trump called the four members “grandstanders” and their actions “patriotic” in a post on Truth Social after the vote.
Some Democratic senators, including Tim Kaine, have argued that passing the war powers resolution is necessary even as the US reaches a deal with Iran and continues to negotiate with Tehran.
“I think this is a good time to have a vote to say, ‘Hey, if we really are in a period of some stability here, then don’t allow this to happen again without including Congress in that decision,'” he told reporters last week.
This story has been updated with additional developments.