Senate rejects measure to restrict Trump's Iran war powers as key Republicans shift

The Senate precocious Wednesday rejected a measurement aimed astatine restricting President Trump's powerfulness to wage warfare against Iran, successful a triumph for the president and Senate GOP enactment arsenic they question to quell legislature discontent with the Trump administration's Iran strategy.

The procedural question failed successful a 50 to 47 vote, with 2 Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — voting successful favour of advancing the solution by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, siding with astir Democrats. Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted present, and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted no.

Just 1 time earlier, 4 Republicans voted yes connected a abstracted House-passed warfare powers resolution, allowing it to narrowly pass. Those aforesaid 4 GOP lawmakers voted to advance the Kaine solution successful an earlier procedural ballot past period — the archetypal clip an Iran warfare powers solution had moved guardant successful the Senate aft 7 failed attempts.

Kaine's solution would nonstop Mr. Trump to "remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities wrong oregon against Iran," unless authorized by Congress.

The measure's applicable interaction is unclear since the president would apt veto the measurement adjacent if it passes, and the Trump medication has argued the U.S. is nary longer engaged successful hostilities with Iran since the 2 sides entered into a ceasefire. The medication has besides said it believes the 1973 War Powers Resolution — the instrumentality that acceptable up a process for Congress to propulsion backmost connected statesmanlike uses of subject unit — is itself unconstitutional.

Still, Mr. Trump has publically and privately vented astir the warfare powers votes, arguing the rebukes from Congress person undermined his efforts to negociate with Iran.

Those frustrations boiled implicit earlier Wednesday, erstwhile Mr. Trump expressed his discontent during a testy luncheon gathering with Senate Republicans, CBS News previously reported. At 1 point, the president sternly told Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — who had voted successful favour of Tuesday's warfare powers solution — to beryllium down. Cassidy told reporters aft the gathering that "[Mr. Trump] raised his voice" and "I mislaid my temper."

Later successful the day, however, signs emerged that immoderate of the Senate Republicans who had antecedently voted to constrain Mr. Trump's warfare powers were reconsidering. 

Cassidy was briefed connected Iran astatine the White House by Vice President JD Vance and peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff, the legislator confirmed connected X, penning that the speech "address[ed] galore of my concerns." Cassidy voted against advancing the solution Wednesday night.

And Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted contiguous connected Wednesday, contempt voting successful favour of the past respective Iran warfare powers resolutions. He said connected X his extremity was to "give the President much abstraction and leverage to negociate a lasting peace."

"My sentiment connected the statement implicit warfare and enforcement powerfulness has not changed and I person voted that mode respective times," helium said. "But since hostilities look to beryllium implicit and the President asked maine to springiness information to his negotiating position, I volition bash so."

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, helped "seal the deal" successful conversations with immoderate cardinal GOP members, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told CBS News.

The backmost and distant comes aft Mr. Trump signed a memorandum of knowing with Iran to widen the 2 countries' ceasefire for 60 days and motorboat talks connected Iran's atomic program, aiming to wrapper up a warfare that polling shows astir Americans do not believe was worthy the cost.