Republicans Reject Iran Limits As War Powers Milestone Nears

Senate Republicans rejected a fresh attempt to halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran on Wednesday, again backing up President Donald Trump as he projects optimism that the conflict could soon be over despite uncertain peace negotiations and a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports.

It’s the fourth time war powers legislation has failed since hostilities began.

Republicans rebuffed the Democratic-led push as political theater, despite energy price spikes and other spiraling consequences of the Middle East conflict. But a key deadline to authorize continued military action — set by existing law that predates the partisan battle over Trump’s war powers — is approaching this month.

That late April deadline could prove more of a political headache for Trump and Republicans than the mostly partisan snap war powers votes pushed by Democrats.

Today's 47-52 vote saw the same breakdown as three previous efforts to rein in Trump. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was again the lone GOP senator supporting it, while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania broke with his party to oppose the measure. GOP Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia did not vote, marking the only difference in this vote.

Senate Democrats have vowed to keep forcing politically fraught votes to defend the war despite no change in the level of support on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. They’ve pointed to shifting rationales by administration officials and the lack of a clear endgame that justifies a continued public debate on the war.

And while Wednesday’s vote was largely a foregone conclusion, the statutory deadline that is fast approaching may make it harder for the Trump administration to keep concerned GOP lawmakers onside much longer.

The Iran war is nearing an April 28 deadline that mandates congressional authorization for continued military operations. According to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, U.S. forces must be withdrawn from the conflict after 60 days unless Congress authorizes it. But the White House can still invoke a 30-day extension for national security reasons.

That deadline could force the Trump administration to more publicly outline an end state or show significant progress toward ending the Middle East campaign to maintain GOP support.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the sponsor of the latest war powers measure, said ahead of the vote that Republicans "continue to carry the president's water on this war."

"To me, it's tragic that even as [U.S. troops] continue to do their duties, our president and members of Congress from the Republican side of the aisle seem so ready to neglect their own duties."

Trump, in the meantime, has ratcheted up pressure on Tehran by ordering a military blockade of the Iranian ports. Tehran’s earlier closure of the strait has sent oil and gas prices skyrocketing, and reopening the key maritime choke point has become a priority for Trump.

Negotiations between the two nations last weekend over a peace deal in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance broke down over Tehran’s refusal to give assurances not to seek to develop nuclear weapons.

But Trump in an interview Wednesday on Fox Business projected confidence that the war “can be over very soon." The president argued that a peace deal would hinge on Iran, arguing, "If they’re smart, it will end soon."

"This is not going to be a forever war,” argued Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Indeed, if anything it's ending what seems like it's been a forever conflict with Iran."

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said he expects to hold a public hearing on Iran in the coming weeks.

And the Trump administration is expected to soon send lawmakers a request for supplemental funding to cover the costs of the war, including financing the torrid pace of military operations and replacing billions of dollars worth of high-end missiles and air defense munitions that have been expended.

White House budget director Russell Vought told the House Budget Committee on Wednesday that the administration hasn’t settled on “a ballpark” dollar value for its wartime funding request.