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Senate advances anti-Iran war measure in surprise blow to Trump
The procedural vote was the first step for the resolution to advance, and likely would have failed if all GOP senators had been on hand. The legislation will need to clear several more steps before it can pass, giving Republicans opportunities to kill the measure in the coming days. Trump and GOP leaders were similarly able to flip Republicans to sideline Venezuela legislation in January after it cleared an initial vote.
But the success of the vote is nonetheless a blow to Trump and Senate Republican leaders — who defeated seven previous attempts to limit the war — while Democrats will tout the vote as progress in their pressure campaign against Republicans.
Alongside Cassidy, GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky broke ranks to support the legislation, while one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, opposed it.
GOP absences hamstrung Majority Leader John Thune’s efforts to defeat the measure. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama missed the vote. All three have previously voted to quash Democratic efforts to limit Trump, and their votes would have tied the vote and killed the legislation.
Critics of the war pointed to Trump’s announcement Monday that he had delayed plans to resume strikes on Iran — which he said were scheduled for Tuesday — in the hopes of diplomatic progress. The abrupt extension of the ceasefire, they contended, is an opportune time for Congress to assert its warmaking authority.
“This seems to me to be a perfect time for the Senate to have the deliberate discussion about the need for war that we should have had before the war began on February 28,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the sponsor of the resolution. “Let’s take advantage of this moment.”
Efforts to curtail the war could also pass in the House, where Democrats are consolidating support and GOP opposition has grown. A similar measure last week failed in the House in a tie vote. Another measure could pass this week, depending on attendance by members of both parties.