The House and Senate could vote next week on whether to require President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before launching military action against Iran. And in both chambers, the chances of passage look slim.
“No, I’m voting it down,” said Sen. John Fetterman, a key swing vote, when asked whether he would support a war powers resolution from Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul.
Fetterman said the country must keep its military options available to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The senator has voted with Democrats on some past efforts to limit Trump’s war powers, but opposed a resolution on Iran last year in the aftermath of the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“If you’re really serious about that, these are the kind of things that are necessary, and they all need to be on the table,” he said, calling the resolution “the wrong message to send” at a moment when U.S. forces are positioned in the region.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has been more willing than most Republicans to back war powers efforts in the past, said she would “have to look really critically” at the measure on Iran.
“We cannot see a nuclear-armed Iran.” Murkowski said.
But she made clear she wants more clarity from the Trump administration, saying she hasn’t “been read in.”
Trump and other officials have repeatedly said strikes on Iran are on the table, particularly if diplomatic talks fall apart. So far, there’s been no deal: U.S. and Iranian negotiators met Thursday in Geneva for another round of indirect nuclear talks, with mediators describing the discussions as serious, as both sides look for a diplomatic off-ramp. No breakthrough was announced but Oman’s mediator said there have been “creative and positive ideas” in the discussions, and that technical talks are expected to continue next week in Vienna.
Kaine said the Senate could vote early next week and argued that Americans are wary of another conflict.
“Being in a war is a dumb idea. Being in a war in the Middle East is an especially dumb idea. Being in war against Iran right now is an even more dumb idea,” Kaine told NOTUS, adding that lawmakers are hearing that sentiment from constituents across party lines.
But the push to limit Trump’s war powers on Iran could be tougher than the one to limit him on Venezuela, which passed one Senate hurdle in January before falling apart. Israel is reportedly pushing for a strike, and some pro-Israel Democrats have come out against the war powers resolution.
Kaine rejected the idea that being supportive of Israel should translate into backing a U.S. war.
“You can be 100% pro-Israel but not think our sons and daughters should go into an unnecessary war against Iran,” he said.
In the House, leading Democrats said Thursday that they plan to force a vote on a war powers measure from Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie next week.
“Every Member will have the opportunity to go on the record as to whether they support military action against Iran absent Congressional approval,” the Democrats said in a statement. The group includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Reps. Adam Smith, Gregory Meeks and Jim Himes, top democrats on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.
The House resolution also faces slim odds. Rep. Josh Gottheimer said in a joint statement with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler that he will oppose the Massie-Khanna measure.
“This resolution would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks, signaling weakness at a dangerous moment,” the joint statement reads.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz told Jewish Insider that he is “not willing to preemptively tell the supreme leader that he has nothing to worry about, no reason to negotiate because you are totally safe, and that the people of Iran can’t depend on us.”
Rep. Don Bacon, who supported previous war powers efforts, is conflicted on the measure.
In both chambers, Republicans have largely dismissed the war powers effort. Sen. Thom Tillis said he would oppose the resolution unless U.S. troops were deployed on the ground.
“Unless we’re talking about a scenario where we have troops on the ground, I’m a ‘no’ because I think it’s a messaging vote,” Tillis said. “We know it’s not going to pass.”
Tillis added that he does not expect the administration to brief the full Senate on anything sensitive and he is “content not to be informed,” as long as the Gang of Eight is kept in the loop.
Rep. Brian Mast called the war powers measure “beyond stupid.”
Sen. James Lankford said he believes the administration is serious about preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and is working to bring Tehran to the table. But he added that if Iran continues to pursue nuclear capabilities and threaten U.S. allies, “we should take them seriously.”
Sen. Rick Scott said it was “real simple.”
“If they decide to go forward with nuclear weapons, they will be bombed,” he said.
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