An F/A-18E Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
WASHINGTON — The Senate defeated legislation Tuesday that would have blocked President Donald Trump from continuing to wage war against Iran without congressional authorization, the third unsuccessful attempt to limit his military power since the conflict began.
The 53-47 vote was the latest attempt by Democrats to give Congress a say in the nearly one-month war and part of an effort by several Democratic senators to continue forcing votes on war powers resolutions until top Trump officials publicly testify about the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a libertarian who routinely supports measures to assert Congress’s role in authorizing the use of military force abroad, was the only Republican to support the resolution, and Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to oppose it.
The vote breakdown was similar to two prior measures to halt offensive U.S. military operations in Iran that have not been approved by lawmakers. The first resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and the second was introduced by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., as one of five separate measures meant to tie up the Senate floor with repeated votes on the issue.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., forced the third vote on Tuesday and emphasized that it will not be the last.
“If our Republican colleagues will not do their duty, if they are going to engage in an effort to hide the consequences of the war, if they are going to refuse to ask questions of our incompetent national security leaders at the White House who have waged this war without planning for the foreseeable consequences, then we will force a debate and a vote on this floor,” he said.
Democrats have repeatedly called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials to appear at oversight hearings on Capitol Hill, not just in classified briefings, so that they can explain their justifications for the war and outline its endgame to the public.
The administration has offered various objectives for its attacks on Iran, from regime change to degrading Tehran’s missile and naval capabilities.
“They need to explain their case, respecting the American people enough to tell them why they’re being forced to take on the cost of this conflict,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a veteran of the Iraq War. “They need to prove that they’ve thought this through.”
Most Republicans have continued to defend Trump’s decision to go to war, though they have offered cautious support for an anticipated supplemental funding request from the Pentagon that could top $200 billion. Some have also expressed concern about a potential ground invasion, which Trump is reportedly considering.
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reiterated his backing for the conflict and accused Democrats of trying to help Iranians by introducing war powers resolutions over and over.
“Every American should stand behind our fighting men and women, they need to continue on, they need to complete the job,” he said. “The President of the United States is going to do this. So to my friends on the other side of the aisle: stop this.”
In a related vote earlier Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution honoring six service members who were killed in a refueling plane crash in Iraq this month while supporting the Iran mission.
“We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice these American heroes made and continue to pray for their loved ones,” Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., a Marine veteran, said in a statement.