U.S. Senate Takes First Step to Block Trump... Iran War Powers Resolution Introduced

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[Financial News] A resolution in the United States Senate to limit President Donald Trump's war powers in the standoff with Iran cleared its first hurdle after eight attempts. The breakthrough came after a Republican defection, but many steps remain before Trump's authority could actually be suspended.
According to local media including The New York Times, the United States Senate held a preliminary vote on the resolution urging Congress to suspend the president's war powers on the 19th local time and passed it by 50 votes to 47.
The vote was a procedural step to determine whether the resolution would go to a full Senate vote. For Trump's war powers to be suspended in practice, the measure must pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump must accept it. If Trump vetoes the resolution, U.S. Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Under the War Powers Act enacted in 1973, a U.S. president must notify Congress within 48 hours after initiating combat. If Congress is not informed, U.S. forces must withdraw within 60 days or obtain authorization for military action.
Since February 28, the United States has attacked targets across Iran together with Israel under an operation called Operation Epic Fury. Under the War Powers Act, the deadline for Trump to continue the attacks without congressional approval was the 1st. At a hearing on the 30th of last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that the Trump administration was not subject to the 60-day limit because it had reached a ceasefire with Iran on the 7th of last month. In a statement on the 5th, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Operation Epic Fury had ended.
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Since the start of the Iran war, resolutions seeking to suspend Trump's war powers have been repeatedly introduced in Congress, but none passed because of Republican opposition in both chambers. The Senate vote on the 19th was the eighth attempt. In the House of Representatives, similar resolutions were introduced on the 16th of last month and again on the 14th, but both efforts failed due to Republican resistance.
The key variable in the vote on the 19th was Republican defections. Four Republican senators, including Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Randal Howard "Rand" Paul of Kentucky, voted in favor of the resolution. On the Democratic side, only Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against it.
The New York Times focused on Cassidy. He had not supported any of the previous seven votes on similar resolutions. But after losing the Republican primary on the 17th to a challenger backed by Trump, Cassidy voted in favor in the 19th ballot.
On the day of the vote, Cassidy wrote on social media, "I support the administration's efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no explanation to Congress about Operation Epic Fury." He added, "Until the administration offers a clear explanation, congressional approval or an extension cannot be justified."
That same day, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who led the resolution, said, "The Senate should use this opportunity to discuss what should have been addressed before the war began: the justification for war, the strategy, the end goal, and the cost to American taxpayers and our economy."
A Republican official told local media that the resolution could be blocked on the Senate floor. Three Republican senators were absent from the vote on the 19th because of campaign events and other reasons.
pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter