US Senate defies Trump, votes to end military action against Iran

On June 23, the Senate voted 50-48 to pass a war powers resolution directing President Trump to remove US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorises them. All but one Democrat supported the measure; Republicans Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Rand Paul joined them. Democrat John Fetterman opposed it, and two Republicans, Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick, did not vote.

First such measure since 1973

The concurrent resolution had already cleared the House on June 3 by a 215-208 margin. An earlier, procedural Senate vote on May 20 did not advance to a binding measure. This is the first time since the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that both chambers have approved a measure ordering a president to withdraw troops from hostilities. Senator Tim Kaine, a co-author, said the timing was right because active combat had wound down.

We have withdrawn from the most active phase of the war and this is the perfect moment for Congress to ask itself, "What should the next chapter be?" instead of letting one man make that decision.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer blamed Trump for a costly foreign policy misstep.

For years, Trump promised to put maximum pressure on Iran, but he ended up delivering maximum confusion, maximum chaos, maximum cost to the American people with his disastrous war.

Trump attacks Republican defectors

President Trump lashed out on Truth Social, branding the four breakaway senators "four Republican Losers" and accusing them of helping Iran.

I have Iran on the ropes, ready to collapse and willing to give the United States practically anything... and the Senate tells me to stop, offering direct help to the enemy.

Legal enforceability in doubt

The White House views the War Powers Resolution as unconstitutional and says the vote is not binding. Republican foreign relations chairman Jim Risch said the president will ignore it. Scott Anderson, a Brookings Institution legal fellow, noted that enforcement would be hard to pursue in court.

The executive branch will likely ignore it on constitutional grounds, and it's not clear who might have standing to sue to enforce it.

Unpopular war and election pressures

The conflict that started on February 28 has become a political liability. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published the same day as the vote found that only 24% of Americans believe the war has been worth its cost. The administration is pursuing peace talks with Iran but has hinted it might resume hostilities if negotiations break down. With November's midterm elections approaching, Republican defections on Iran, as well as on Trump's $1.8 billion "antiweaponization" fund and a $70 billion immigration bill, signal growing fissures within the party.