Republicans Again Block War Powers Measure in the Senate
Four G.O.P. senators crossed party lines to back the resolution to direct President Trump to halt the war in Iran and seek authorization from Congress, but their support was not enough.
Four G.O.P. senators crossed party lines to back the resolution to direct President Trump to halt the war in Iran and seek authorization from Congress, but their support was not enough.
With four Republican backers, Democrats won a vote to advance a resolution that would force the president to end hostilities or win authorization from Congress.
Having deferred to the president for months, G.O.P. lawmakers missed crucial milestones to try to limit his war powers. That has tied their hands in seeking parameters and exit criteria.
A decades-old law allows the president to wage war without congressional approval for 60 days, then limits his options for continuing. President Trump may seek to get around it.
The G.O.P. narrowly blocked a Democratic war powers resolution, but a senior Republican suggested that backing for the conflict is not open-ended and could wane as a statutory deadline approaches in weeks.
In a week in which President Trump has veered from threatening to wipe out Iranian civilization to declaring a cease-fire, Congress is out of session and lawmakers with the power to declare war are mostly in the dark.
Global leaders are struggling in their efforts to find a way to end the American-Israeli war on Iran, and they are spooked about what President Trump might do next.
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is drafting a formal authorization for the use of military force in Iran, seeking to put some parameters around the operation as the Trump administration has boxed out Congress.
Senate Democrats failed for the third time to advance a resolution that would force the removal of troops from hostilities in Iran unless Congress approves offensive operations.
Some of the proposed sales, valued at more than $23 billion, were under review, while others were never sent to Congress. The administration is pushing them through without congressional approval.