Nicolai Haugsted
More and more Trump-supporters disagrees with the president’s decision – now the time has come to the powerful voters.
Donald Trump has spent much of his presidency enjoying strong backing from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
That united front is beginning to show signs of strain.
For the first time since the Iran conflict began earlier this year, both chambers of Congress have approved a measure aimed at limiting the president’s ability to continue military action against Tehran.
The U.S. Senate voted 50-48 in favor of a war powers resolution directing Trump to halt military involvement in Iran, according to Reuters.
The measure had already cleared the House of Representatives earlier this month, making it the first time since the War Powers Act was introduced in 1973 that both chambers of Congress have approved a resolution seeking to end a president’s military engagement.
Four Republican senators joined nearly all Democrats in supporting the move.
While the resolution may ultimately have little practical effect, it represents one of the clearest signs yet that concerns about the war are spreading beyond Trump’s political opponents.
Public support remains weak
The vote comes as lawmakers prepare for what could become another major political battle.
The White House is expected to ask Congress for tens of billions of dollars to help cover the costs of the conflict, a request that could face resistance from both parties.
Recent polling has also painted a difficult picture for the administration.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released Tuesday, only one in four Americans believes the war has been worth its costs, while a majority doubts the current ceasefire will hold.
Those numbers arrive just months before November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will try to maintain control of Congress.
Trump dismisses the vote
The president wasted little time responding.
In a social media post, Trump described the resolution as “poorly timed and meaningless.”
He also accused lawmakers who backed the measure of helping Iran and making his job harder.
The White House has similarly argued that the resolution carries no legal force because it does not require presidential approval and because the administration considers active hostilities to have ended with the April ceasefire.
A White House official said the vote “has no significance” and noted that two Republican senators were absent.
Legal questions remain unresolved
Much of the debate now centers on whether Congress can actually force a president to end military operations through this type of resolution.
Under the War Powers Act, lawmakers intended such measures to serve as a check on presidential war-making authority.
However, legal experts note that the issue has never been fully tested because no similar resolution has previously passed both the House and Senate.
“The executive branch will likely ignore it on constitutional grounds, and it’s not clear who might have standing to sue to enforce it,” said Scott Anderson, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior editor at Lawfare.
Supporters of the resolution argue that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to weigh in on matters of war.
“Congress has to own this responsibility,” Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said while urging colleagues to support the measure.
More battles ahead
Capitol Hill’s involvement in Iran policy may not end with Tuesday’s vote.
Lawmakers have indicated they want additional votes related to the conflict, and Congress is also expected to review any future peace agreement involving Iran’s nuclear program.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expects lawmakers to eventually vote on a final deal if negotiations with Tehran produce an agreement.
For now, the Senate vote serves as another reminder that Trump’s biggest political challenge on Iran may no longer be coming from Democrats alone.
