Senate Republicans defeat for fifth time resolution to halt military operations against Iran

Senate Republicans voted largely in unison Wednesday to defeat a Democratic-sponsored war powers resolution that would prohibit President Trump from continuing military operations against Iran.

It marked the fifth time that Republican senators voted against a proposal to halt the military conflict.

The Senate voted 46-51 to defeat a motion to discharge the resolution out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to vote to advance the measure.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote against it.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who sponsored the measure, argued on the Senate floor that Trump pledged during his presidential campaigns not to begin new foreign wars.

Baldwin said the conflict with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, bears many similarities to the Iraq war, which dragged on from 2003 to 2011.

“In both wars, we had zero plans for the days to come and failed to outline our specific goals. In both wars, we had zero strategy to get out. And in both wars, we had servicemembers dying overseas for a cause that Americans did not support,” she said.

 A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,557 U.S. adults nationwide found that only 36 percent of Americans approve the strikes against Iran. The survey was conducted from April 15 to April 20.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) rose on the Senate floor to speak against the resolution, noting that similar measures have failed repeatedly in recent weeks.

“We’ve been through these votes before. We’ve been through these votes recently and nothing has occurred in the makeup of this body or in the situation in Iran or the Middle East to materially change since the last time we voted on this matter,” he said.

He said passing the resolution would be “unwise.”

“I think it would be dangerous. It would tie the commander-in-chief’s hands at a time when he needs maximum flexibility to eliminate the threat from Iran,” he said.

The vote on the resolution was largely symbolic as it would have little chance of becoming law.

Democrats have forced votes on similar measures in the House, only to be stymied by Republican opposition.

And it would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress to override Trump’s veto of a war powers resolution.

Trump announced Tuesday that he would extend a ceasefire with Iran, saying Iran’s leadership is “seriously fractured” and needs more time to come up with a unified peace proposal.

Vice President Vance and other U.S. negotiators have postponed a scheduled trip to Islamabad, Pakistan, to resume peace talks.  

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the president hasn’t set a firm deadline for Iran to respond with a proposal.

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