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Senate Republicans Vote Down Effort to End Iran War

Foreign Policy

Wednesday 4.3.2026

    The House is expected to hold a similar Iran war powers vote tomorrow.

    U.S. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer speaks into a microphone while standing in front of a large poster of U.S. President Donald Trump.
    U.S. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer speaks into a microphone while standing in front of a large poster of U.S. President Donald Trump.
    U.S. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks at the Capitol in Washington on March 3. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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    The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected a Democratic-led effort to bring a speedy end to U.S. President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.

    By a mostly party-line vote, 47-53, senators voted against beginning debate on a bipartisan Iran war powers resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican Sen. Rand Paul. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted with Republicans against the measure. Moderate Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who previously voted with Democrats on war powers-related resolutions, did not cross the aisle this time.

    The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected a Democratic-led effort to bring a speedy end to U.S. President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.

    By a mostly party-line vote, 47-53, senators voted against beginning debate on a bipartisan Iran war powers resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican Sen. Rand Paul. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted with Republicans against the measure. Moderate Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who previously voted with Democrats on war powers-related resolutions, did not cross the aisle this time.

    The unsuccessful procedural vote ends—for now—Senate efforts to halt the war by using the legal powers provided to Congress under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

    “This is about whether senators are ready to send your sons and your daughters into harm’s way,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. “If there was ever a moment for Senate Republicans to take a stand, it’s now. The last thing the American people want or need is another war in the Middle East.”

    A vote on a similar resolution, offered by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, is expected to take place in the House on Thursday, where it faces similarly tight margins.

    The longer the fighting in the Middle East continues, the likelier it is that the U.S. Defense Department will have to ask Congress for emergency war spending outside of the regular budget process. If that happens, opponents of Trump’s war will have greater leverage than they do now to try and constrain or obstruct the scope of fighting, which continues to expand five days into the conflict.

    “This weekend’s events are not the beginning of a war but an intent to end one that spans nearly half a century,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, a former leader of the Senate’s Republicans. “The Islamic Republic of Iran was quite literally founded on the premise of existential war against America and against Israel. …This war belongs to the mullahs in Tehran.

    This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage. Read more here.

    Rachel Oswald is a staff writer at Foreign Policy.

    Read More

    • Sen. Tim Kaine standing inside the U.S. Capitol gestures in front of a large placard that bears a quotation from U.S. President Donald Trump on the likelihood of more U.S. casualties before the Iran war is over.
      Sen. Tim Kaine standing inside the U.S. Capitol gestures in front of a large placard that bears a quotation from U.S. President Donald Trump on the likelihood of more U.S. casualties before the Iran war is over.

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    • TOPSHOT - A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026. Iran stepped up its attacks on economic targets and US missions across the Middle East on Tuesday as the US president warned it was "too late" for the Islamic republic to seek talks to escape the war. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with the killing of Iran's supreme leader and the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
      TOPSHOT - A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026. Iran stepped up its attacks on economic targets and US missions across the Middle East on Tuesday as the US president warned it was "too late" for the Islamic republic to seek talks to escape the war. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with the killing of Iran's supreme leader and the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

      Is Trump’s War in Iran Justified? A Debate.

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