Senate Passes Bipartisan Measure Urging End to U.S. Hostilities Against Iran

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a dramatic resolution by 50 votes to 48 ordering President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran. The measure had already passed the House earlier this month, by a 208 to 215 vote, and came to the Senate floor for a final up-or-down decision.

The vote succeeded because four Republican senators broke with their party and sided with Democrats: Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. The same four had tried to advance a similar move last week in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but that effort failed because of Democratic absences. The only Democrat to oppose the measure was John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

The resolution is a concurrent resolution, so it does not require Trump’s signature. It also has no force of law and cannot by itself stop military operations. Still, it is based on the 1973 War Powers Act and orders a withdrawal except for units needed immediately to defend U.S. assets or allies from attack.

Despite its limited legal effect, the vote marks a major political shock in Washington and a public challenge to Trump’s authority as commander in chief from within his own party. The House version was advanced earlier this month with support from four Republican lawmakers, Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson, who joined all Democrats. Two Republican senators, David McCormick and Mitch McConnell, were absent from the key vote; both have previously opposed similar efforts to restrict war powers on Iran.