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Senate Again Rejects Effort to Restrict Trump’s Iran War Powers
Senate Republicans blocked a measure by Senate Democrats seeking to mandate explicit congressional approval for ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran.
The U.S. Senate on March 17 once again rejected a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 118, a joint resolution to withdraw U.S. armed forces from military actions in Iran sans congressional approval. The motion was shot down in a 47–53 vote.
The measure, introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), is an attempt to invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to require explicit congressional approval for ongoing U.S. military involvement in the region.
The motion was rejected mostly along party lines; Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone Republican supporter, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) voted with Republicans.
“If there’s anything that is plain in that Constitution, it is that a president does not have the power to unilaterally bring a nation and its treasure, to bring a nation and its men and women into conflict without a say of Congress,” Booker said on the Senate floor. “This is not a partisan issue. This is not a left or right issue. It is a right or wrong, do you stand with the Constitution of the United States of America?”
The U.S.-led military campaign against Iran entered its third week on March 18 as Iran engages in retaliatory strikes across the region, disrupting global energy flows and driving up oil prices. Iran launched missiles and drones late on the night of March 18 toward Israel and several Persian Gulf countries, continuing a trend of targeting its neighbors.
The Israel Defense Forces, as well as defense measures in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have responded to Iran’s attacks. Israel conducted strikes in Tehran on March 17, killing Ali Larijani, who was a top Iranian security official, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Basij force.
Meanwhile, Brent crude prices have skyrocketed to more than $100 per barrel as Middle East oil exports have been halted. Strikes against Iranian gas fields have contributed to the increase in oil prices. Two Canadian cargo ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to pass through the waterway.
U.S. intelligence says Iran’s regime remains in power but has deteriorated. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has said it would likely dedicate years to rebuilding drone, missile, and other capabilities if it does not fall as a result of the conflict.
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
