WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate is set to take its first vote on a resolution to curb President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, with top Democrat Chuck Schumer saying he is “now more than ever” concerned that the administration plans to put boots on the ground.
The procedural vote scheduled for Wednesday will mark the first time on record the position of U.S. lawmakers on the war between the United States and Israel that began on Saturday and has since seen Iranian retaliation spread across the Middle East.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The vote will determine whether Congress moves forward with further debate and a final vote on the resolution, or whether any efforts by the Trump administration to assert Congressional authority over military action are immediately dashed. Another bill is scheduled for an initial vote tomorrow in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Speaking on the Senate floor, US Democrats decried the evolution of the war’s justifications and why the US needs to attack Iran immediately.
Schumer, the chamber’s top Democrat, described Trump as a president who is willing to quickly change his position, unfettered by evidence or past positions.
“Whatever comes to mind, he says right away. One day he chooses one plan, and the next day he chooses the complete opposite. He doesn’t think about it deeply and doesn’t check the facts,” he said.
“He’s surrounded by ‘yes men,’ and that’s dangerous,” Schumer said, adding there was “zero clarity” in recent briefings from the administration about the end goal and timeline.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that more U.S. assets will be sent to the region and that operations are just beginning.
Schumer said the statement was “clear that they are escalating the war…and I fear now more than ever that we are about to run into the ground. That’s exactly what the American people fear.”
Comparison with the 2003 invasion of Iraq
Democrat Dick Durbin, meanwhile, pointed to a series of rationales the Trump administration has offered for starting the war, although there is little concrete evidence to support the various claims.
President Trump has suggested that Iran is seeking to rebuild its nuclear program, which he said was “killed” in last year’s attack. He suggested that Iran is seeking to develop long-range missiles to attack the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Israel, a close US ally, was planning an attack on Iran, which would likely lead to retaliation against US assets in the region. President Trump said Iran is planning an imminent attack on Israel.
Most persistently throughout its messaging, the Trump administration has sought to frame the entirety of Iran’s actions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution as representing an imminent threat.
Many U.S. constitutional scholars have long argued that the president’s powers under Article II of the U.S. Constitution are limited to the use of the military in self-defense in response to imminent threats to the nation, and that anything beyond that requires Congressional approval.
Under international law, the concept of “imminence” is also important in determining whether an attack on a sovereign state is lawful.
“Let me tell you my experience of voting for the Iraq war. It’s much easier to get into a war than get out of it,” Durbin said. “At the time, we knew there was a possibility of a bigger war than just an invasion, and it lasted nine years.”
Republicans defend Trump
Wednesday’s vote marks the beginning of an uphill battle for supporters of the War Powers Resolution.
Republicans hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate, and the party is largely united around Trump’s message, despite growing disappointment from prominent members of his Make America Great Again movement (MAGA).
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, while Democrats and independents who caucus hold 47 seats. At least one Democrat, John Fetterman, has said he opposes the resolution, while Republican Rand Paul is a co-sponsor.
That means all remaining Democrats and four Republicans would need to vote in favor of limiting President Trump’s powers. The math is similarly tricky in the House, where Democrats hold 214 seats and Republicans hold 218.
“Democrats would rather thwart President Trump than eliminate Iran’s national nuclear program,” Republican John Barrasso said on the Senate floor.
“President Trump communicated our goals within hours of the first attack: destroy Iran’s missile industry, including Iran’s missiles, launchers, and stockpiled production capacity; destroy Iran’s navy; destroy Iran’s terrorist proxy network; and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
“President Trump acted absolutely within his Article II authority to achieve these goals,” he said.
Why is it important?
Even if supporters of the warring powers managed to reach a majority in both houses of Congress, the resolution would still be vetoed by President Trump.
In that case, lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override Trump’s veto, a much higher hurdle to clear.
Still, supporters have long argued that requiring a war powers vote would force lawmakers to weigh in on the issue and give voters a chance to send a message about the war to elected officials, and early polls showed dismal support for Trump’s attack.
“A vote and debate on the Iran War Powers Resolution is essential because it forces accountability,” said Hassan El Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at the National Legislative Friends Committee, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization.
“By taking this step, lawmakers will put themselves on the record, shine a light on the regime’s actions and force necessary concessions,” he told Al Jazeera.
El Tayyab said the pending vote has already increased pressure on the administration to provide more information to Congress, noting that some Republican lawmakers have expressed skepticism.
“This proves that this debate is not abstract politics,” El Tayyab said. “Our government is exercising its war powers with transparency and vigilance.”
