Senate defeats 7th attempt to limit Trump's Iran war powers, despite new GOP defection
The measure fell one vote short as Murkowski joined two other Republicans, and Democrats said they will keep forcing weekly votes.
- On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the U.S. Senate narrowly defeated a resolution aimed at curbing President Trump's military authority in Iran, marking the seventh failed attempt by Democrats since the conflict began in February.
- The motion to discharge the resolution failed by a narrow 49-50 margin. Despite the loss, the vote represented the closest challenge to the President's war powers yet, reflecting growing anxiety in Congress over the conflict's legal status.
- Senator Lisa Murkowski joined the Democratic-led effort for the first time, breaking from her previous opposition. She stated that after the 60-day legal window for congressional authorization expired in early May, she expected "more clarity" from the administration but felt it was now time to discuss Congress's constitutional responsibilities.
- Murkowski joined longtime Republican dissenters Rand Paul and Susan Collins in voting to advance the measure. Conversely, Senator John Fetterman remained the sole Democrat to vote against the resolution, maintaining his consistent support for the administration’s military stance.
- Democrats argue that the President is in "clear violation" of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 because the 60-day deadline for authorization passed on May 1. The White House continues to dispute this, arguing that the "clock was paused" because the current ceasefire technically terminated active hostilities.
137 Articles
137 Articles
Senate narrowly backs Trump’s war on Iran, 50-49
WASHINGTON—By one vote, the U.S. Senate backed GOP President Donald Trump’s War on Iran. Technically, 50 senators—all but one of them Republicans–killed a resolution invoking the War Powers Act against Trump. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., a war hawk, missed the vote and did not say why. The resolution declared the legal 60-day window for war is over, and the troops and planes must come home, unless Congress gives its OK for them to stay and fight.…
Idaho Press
US Senate again rejects resolution to force authorization for Iran war
WASHINGTON — The seventh effort to stop President Donald Trump’s military campaign in Iran until he obtains congressional approval failed Wednesday in the U.S. Senate.
Unasked Questions About the War on Iran
The media ignore the evidence as they regurgitate the official narrative that manufactures consent for U.S.-led wars, writes Alison Broinowski. By Alison Broinowski Declassified Australia Most of the Western media refuse to join the dots and explain Israel’s decades-long obsession with defa
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