The Senate approved a war powers resolution Tuesday afternoon to halt U.S. military operations against Iran. The narrow 50-48 vote marks a dramatic turnaround for the chamber, which had rejected nine previous attempts to stop the conflict.
While the resolution is largely symbolic and does not carry the full force of law or require the president’s signature, it signals deep bipartisan unease as the Pentagon requests billions in new wartime funding.
The measure follows a similar resolution passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month. Tuesday’s successful vote in the Senate was made possible by a shift in the Republican majority’s numbers. Two GOP senators—including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was recently hospitalized for an undisclosed matter, and Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania—missed the vote.
This absence, combined with four Republicans crossing party lines, flipped the final outcome. Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana voted with the Democrats. Conversely, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania broke with his party to vote against the measure.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized the administration’s foreign policy following the vote. “Time after time, the vast majority of Senate Republicans sided with Trump and his war instead of the American people,” Schumer said. He added that the conflict would “go down in the history books as one of the worst foreign policy forays America has ever made,” calling it “Trump’s historic blunder in Iran.”
The political showdown arrives at a costly moment for the military. The Pentagon is currently pressing Congress for $80 billion, primarily to replenish munitions and backfill stockpiles depleted since the U.S. and Israel launched initial missile strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Democrats have forced votes on the war nearly every week they have been in session since the initial strikes, though previous attempts failed to gather a majority in the narrowly split chamber.
At the same time, Vice President JD Vance has been leading overseas negotiations to curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which served as a core justification for the initial military strikes. President Trump signed a memorandum of understanding last week that established a 60-day window for the sides to reach a broader agreement over ending Iran’s nuclear program.
However, the terms of the deal have sparked a fierce backlash among members of Trump’s own party. Lawmakers are particularly objecting to a proposed $300 billion fund intended to help rebuild Iran. Critics note this sum vastly exceeds the $1.7 billion refunded to Tehran by the Obama administration under the 2015 nuclear pact. “I believe President Trump is getting very poor advice on Iran,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, remarked last week on his podcast after the deal became public.
Trump is scheduled to visit Capitol Hill this week to meet face-to-face with Senate Republicans. According to a GOP senator who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private party dynamics, the president is deeply displeased with members who have openly criticized his diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, the current pause in active fighting as the administration works to shore up a fragile ceasefire has given lawmakers a window to reevaluate the situation.
Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat who spearheaded the legislative push, noted that the temporary ceasefire offers a critical moment for Congress to step back and assess “what should the next chapter be.”
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