US Senate Passes Resolution Limiting President Trump's War Powers Against Iran
Al Jazeera Staff
The US Senate passed a resolution invoking the War Powers Act to restrict President Trump's military actions against Iran, requiring congressional approval for further operations. The vote was 50-48, with four Republicans joining Democrats. The measure is largely symbolic, as similar resolutions lack binding legal force and the White House has signaled it will be ignored.
On June 24, the US Senate voted to pass a resolution invoking the War Powers Act, compelling President Donald Trump to end his military campaign against Iran or obtain congressional approval before taking any further action. This marks the 10th time the US Congress has sought to restrain the war waged by the US and Israel against Iran.
The US House of Representatives had previously passed a similar resolution on June 3 by a vote of 215-208. In the Senate, the resolution passed 50-48. President Trump's Republican Party holds a narrow majority in both chambers.
Reasons Behind the Vote
Speaking before the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump's military campaign against Iran. Schumer said: “For years, Trump promised maximum pressure on Iran, but in the end, he only delivered maximum confusion, maximum chaos, and maximum cost to the American people with his disastrous war.”
A poll released the same day by Reuters and Ipsos research firm found that only 24% of respondents considered the war against Iran worthwhile.
Vote Results
Four Republican senators voted with Democrats to support the resolution: Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), and Rand Paul (Kentucky). Two other Republican senators did not vote: Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and Dave McCormick (Pennsylvania). On the Democratic side, the only senator voting against was John Fetterman (Pennsylvania).
Resolution Content
The war powers resolution “directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Under it, Trump may only use military force against Iran if “explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization from Congress.” However, the resolution allows a limited military presence in the Middle East to deter any “imminent attack” against the US or its allies.
Significance of the Vote
This is the first time both chambers of the US Congress have passed a resolution directing the president to withdraw armed forces from a combat zone under the War Powers Act. Technically, the Trump administration must now seek explicit congressional approval for any further attacks against Iran. However, experts say the resolution is more symbolic than substantive, as it does not carry the force of law.
Previous administrations have circumvented similar resolutions by securing more limited Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF). For example, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Congress passed an AUMF granting President George W. Bush broad authority to wage a global “war on terror.” A year later, another AUMF allowed the use of military force against Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq, forming the basis for the 2003 invasion.
Impact on US-Iran Negotiations
Before the vote, some Republican senators warned the resolution would weaken Trump's position in negotiations in Switzerland. Senator James Risch (Idaho) argued: “If this passes, the Iranians will simply get up and walk away from the negotiating table.” He also called the resolution essentially useless because “the President is not going to pay attention to it.”
President Trump has stated he does not need congressional authorization, citing the 75-year precedent of US presidents unilaterally sending troops into combat overseas. In an interview on The Axios Show last week, Trump said there are “no limits” to his executive power. The last time the US Congress voted to declare war was during World War II.
