Senate Move To Halt Trump’s Iran War Comes Down To Just Five Votes

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected a measure that would have blocked President Donald Trump from future military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Senate Republicans defeated Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) war powers resolution in a 52-47 vote, mostly along party lines. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the sole Republican to cross the aisle with Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) voted no. Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) did not vote. 

The resolution would have directed the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities involving the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite a fragile ceasefire still in effect.

“It’s just exhausting,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) told reporters Tuesday. “Doing a war powers resolution just undermines the president. I don’t believe [the Democrats] would do that if the president had a ‘D’ behind his name.”

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine slammed the conflict as a “foolish war of choice.”

“We haven’t yet been able to get more than one Republican to join us, but we’re going to offer them the opportunity to listen to their constituents and do the right thing every week until this war is over,” Kaine said. 

It’s been 47 days since Trump attacked Iran. Since then, servicemembers have died, thousands of civilians have died, and Americans are struggling with rising gas prices. My colleagues and I are forcing a vote to bring an end to the chaos. pic.twitter.com/yOD85V3EGz

— Senator Tim Kaine (@SenTimKaine) April 15, 2026

Wednesday’s vote marks the fourth Democratic-led effort to stop the military campaign since the war started on February 28. Democrats hoped to peel off a handful of Republicans after Trump’s threat last week that a “whole civilization will die” without an agreement. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed Wednesday to force votes on war power resolutions every week until the war ends or enough Republicans cross over.

On April 1, Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) fired a warning shot at the White House and Congressional Republicans, indicating that his support would expire if the war dragged on too long.

“I support the president’s actions taken in defense of American lives and interests,” Curtis wrote in an op-ed. “However, I will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval. I take this position for two reasons — one is historical, and one is constitutional.”

Even if the Senate were to pass a war powers resolution, its path forward in the House remains uncertain, and the president would likely veto it.