U.S. Senate Advances Tim Kaine War Powers Resolution To End War With Iran

The U.S. Senate advanced a war powers resolution to end the war in Iran, voting 50-47 on Tuesday after a surprise defection from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

“Trump says economic concerns are 'peanuts' compared to Iran nuclear threat President Donald Trump once again downplayed the war’s economic impact on Americans, saying that the financial setbacks are "peanuts" compared to the chance of Iran having a nuclear weapon”

ABC News

ABC News reported that President Donald Trump downplayed the war’s economic impact, saying the financial setbacks are "peanuts" compared to the chance of Iran having a nuclear weapon.

ABC News

NBC News said Cassidy voted "yes" to advance the measure, the first time he has done so after repeatedly voting "no," and the resolution would force Trump to end the war unless Congress explicitly authorizes continued hostilities.

The resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and it directs the President “to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran,” according to NBC News.

CNBC said the vote shows the Senate now could have the votes to force Trump to pull back the military from Iran or seek congressional approval for additional action, even though it still has little chance of becoming law.

Cassidy said in a statement after the vote that “the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark on Operation Epic Fury,” framing his support as a response to what he described as a lack of clarity.

NBC News quoted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., saying, "Vote by vote, Democrats are breaking through Republicans' wall of silence on Trump’s illegal war," after the procedural advance.

Akhbar 24

CNBC reported that the war has now blown past the 60-day requirement under the War Powers Act for the president to seek authorization of Congress for the use of military force, even as the Trump administration challenged the law as unconstitutional.

MS NOW said the procedural vote succeeded because three GOP senators—John Cornyn, R-Texas, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.—weren’t present, while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., opposed the vote.

The Hill reported that the motion to discharge the war powers resolution sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed by a vote of 50 to 47, setting up a future vote on the Senate floor.

The resolution’s next steps remain uncertain because it would still need to pass the House and survive an almost certain veto from President Trump, as CNBC and MS NOW both described.

The Hill said Trump is certain to veto such a measure and it is not close to having two-thirds support in both chambers to override his veto, even if the Senate votes to pass a war powers resolution curtailing Trump’s authority.

USA Today reported that the measure advanced 50-47 and faced an uphill battle to become law, while also quoting Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine saying the administration is “well past the 60-day deadline.”

USA Today also included Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s critique that “it doesn't appear that hostilities have ended,” pointing to “15,000 troops” forward deployed, “more than 20 war ships,” and an “active naval blockade.”

The Hill added that Kaine said a vote to discharge the resolution out of committee would simply “allow it to be debated on the Senate floor,” and it noted that 14 American troops have been killed in the conflict so far.