Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war
Republicans in the US Senate have rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to stop his war against Iran, showing early support for a conflict that is rapidly spreading across the Middle East.
The legislation, known as the war powers resolution, failed by a vote of 47 to 53. The votes fell mostly along party lines, but Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted in favor and Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against.
The war powers resolution gave lawmakers the opportunity to request congressional approval before further attacks were carried out.
The vote on Wednesday, U.S. time, forced them to take a stand on a war that is shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.
Emphasizing the seriousness of the moment, Democratic senators filled the Senate chamber and sat at their desks while the voting continued. Typically, senators enter the chamber to cast their votes and then leave.
“Today, every senator, every single one of them will choose a side,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.
“Do you stand with the American people who are tired of endless wars in the Middle East, or do you stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth who are dragging us into another war?”
Sen. John Barrasso, who is second in the Senate Republican leadership, said during the debate that Republican senators would send a message that Democrats were wrong to force a vote on the war powers bill.
“Democrats would rather block Donald Trump than destroy Iran’s national nuclear program,” he added.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the war could last up to eight weeks; This is a longer time frame than the Trump administration had previously suggested.
He also acknowledged that Iran is still able to launch missile attacks as the United States attempts to control the country’s airspace.
At the same press conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. troops “are in harm’s way and we need to be mindful that the risk is still high.”
Six US soldiers were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait over the weekend.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa acknowledged the human cost of the war in her speech.
One of the soldiers killed Sunday was from Iowa, and a National Guard unit from his state was also attacked in Syria in December, leaving two more soldiers dead as a result.
“But now, we have the opportunity to end decades of chaos,” said Ernst, who himself served as an officer in the Iowa National Guard for two decades.
“The sooner the better,” he added.
