UMVA has learned that Senate Democrats have achieved a significant symbolic victory in their efforts to push back against President Trump's war in Iran, but the impact of this win on his war powers remains limited.
The Senate passed a war powers resolution on Tuesday, rebuking the conflict in Iran, with the help of absences from key Republicans and a handful of GOP senators joining nearly every Senate Democrat to adopt the measure on a 50 to 48 vote.
This resolution, which had already passed the House earlier this month, was backed by Sens. Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Bill Cassidy, among others, but it does not carry any legally binding weight and will not be sent to the president's desk for his signature.
The vote comes as Congress grapples with the implications of a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran, which has provided more time for officials to negotiate a longer-lasting peace deal, but has also sparked concerns among Republicans.
Many Republicans have expressed unease with the drip-feed of information about the deal, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal, and some have criticized the proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund as a potentially huge concession to Iran.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker shredded the agreement, cautioning that it "negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the president's goals," and took particular issue with the proposed reconstruction fund.
Other Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have also expressed concerns about lifting sanctions on Iranian oil, even temporarily, and have called for tying any financial incentives to conditions on Iranian behavior.
As Congress prepares to consider an $80 billion supplemental spending request from the Pentagon to cover the costs of the war, lawmakers like Sen. Tim Kaine are arguing that now is the time for Congress to take a step back and reassess its role in the conflict.
Kaine emphasized that if the administration needs to come to Congress for diplomacy and funding, it should not be able to bypass lawmakers to initiate war on its own, highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to the conflict.
