Senate rejects Iran war powers resolution 47-53
Eight failed votes leave Trump''s Iran war legally unchecked as April deadline nears
On March 4, 2026, the Senate voted 47-53 against a resolution that would have forced Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran without explicit congressional authorization for war. It was the eighth failed war powers vote since June 2025. The Hill
Key Concepts
Essential concepts and terms to understand this topic
Unanimous Consent Rejected
Blocking of fast-track Senate procedures by a single objection
War Powers
The constitutional division of war-making power between Congress and the President.
Commander in Chief
The President's role as the highest-ranking military officer, making the President a civilian authority over the armed forces.
Constitutional War Powers
The Constitution divides authority over military force between Congress (which declares war and funds troops) and the president (who commands forces as commander in chief).
President Pro Tempore
Senator elected to preside when Vice President is absent
Peacetime vs. Wartime
How constitutional powers shift between Congress and the President during wartime and peacetime.
War Powers Resolution
A 1973 statute requiring the President to notify Congress of troop deployments and limiting combat operations to 60 days without congressional authorization.
Veto Override
Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
Key People
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Tim Kaine
U.S. Senator (D-VA), co-sponsor of Senate war powers resolution
Kaine has led repeated war powers challenges to Trump's Iran operations. He argued on the Senate floor that six Americans had already died in a war Congress never authorized. After the vote failed, he said he would continue pushing for accountability and predicted the House vote would fail for the same reason.
RP
Rand Paul
U.S. Senator (R-KY), co-sponsor of Senate war powers resolution
Paul was the only Republican to vote for the resolution, breaking with his party on the principle that the executive branch can't start wars without Congress. He cited the Founders' intent in Federalist No. 41 and called Trump's war launch a violation of the constitutional order he claims to support.
John Fetterman
U.S. Senator (D-PA)
Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against the resolution, providing Trump with a cross-party endorsement of the war's continuation. He had previously backed the Iran strikes and argued Trump acted within his authority as commander-in-chief.
Susan Collins
U.S. Senator (R-ME)
Collins voted with the Republican majority despite occasionally breaking with Trump on other issues. Her vote signaled that even institutionalist Republicans weren't willing to use the war powers process to constrain the president during an active conflict.
CS
Chuck Schumer
U.S. Senate Minority Leader (D-NY)
Schumer emerged from a classified briefing on the same day saying the administration had given 'different answers every day' about the justification for the strikes. He framed the vote as a test of whether Congress would reclaim its Article I role.
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, without seeking a congressional authorization for war. The Senate vote effectively gave him clearance to continue operations for at least another 60 days under the War Powers Resolution clock.
LM
Lisa Murkowski
U.S. Senator (R-AK)
Murkowski, who had previously criticized Trump on other matters, voted with the Republican majority against the resolution. Her vote was watched closely because she had expressed concern about the lack of a war authorization debate.
Todd Young
U.S. Senator (R-IN)
Young, a veteran who has worked on national security issues and expressed prior skepticism about executive overreach, voted against the resolution. His vote was seen as a signal that institutionalist concerns about war powers wouldn't translate into actual votes to check the president.
Ro Khanna
U.S. Representative (D-CA-17), House war powers resolution co-sponsor
Khanna co-sponsored H.Con.Res.38 with Rep. Thomas Massie, the House companion to the Kaine-Paul Senate resolution. He has been the most consistent House advocate for requiring congressional authorization for the Iran war.
Thomas Massie
U.S. Representative (R-KY-04), House war powers resolution co-sponsor
Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, co-sponsored the House war powers resolution with Khanna. His willingness to cross party lines mirrors Paul's position in the Senate and reflects a small but consistent constitutional faction in the GOP.
What you can do
Call your senators and demand an Iran war authorization vote
civic action
Congress hasn't declared war since 1942, but it can still demand the president get authorization. Calling your senators on record — especially if they're Republican — creates public accountability for the vote they cast.
Read the 1973 War Powers Resolution and track the 60-day clock
research
The War Powers Resolution is the primary law governing when presidents can use military force without Congress. Understanding its 60-day clock, the notification requirements, and how presidents have historically evaded it gives citizens the tools to evaluate whether Trump is acting lawfully.
Track all eight war powers votes using Congress.gov bill records
research
Every member of Congress has a public voting record. Looking up how your representative voted on each of the eight war powers resolutions creates a complete picture of who has chosen to leave the war authorization to the president alone.