A group of Democratic senators said Monday that they are prepared to use the procedural tools available to them to disrupt the Senate’s normal flow of work to force public debate about the war with Iran.
If Republican leadership refuses, Democrats say they will bring a series of war powers resolutions to the floor in the coming weeks.
“We’re not going to let the Senate go on with business as usual.” Sen. Cory Booker told reporters.
“We are demanding that the Republican leadership of the Senate hold the adequate hearings and oversight, as well as to allow a debate that brings transparency to this onto the Senate floor.” Booker added.
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Sens. Booker, Chris Murphy, Adam Schiff, Tammy Baldwin, Tim Kaine and Tammy Duckworth have filed a series of new war powers resolutions that would halt U.S. military operations in Iran unless Congress authorizes them.
The measures are unlikely to pass, the group of Democrats acknowledged, while Republicans control the chamber. By forcing new votes, they can burn floor time and put more pressure on Republicans to agree to hearing and a broader debate.
The resolutions were filed last week and could become eligible for floor action as soon as next week.
The push comes days after the Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan war powers resolution from Sens. Kaine and Rand Paul that sought to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to expand the conflict. The measure failed 47-53. Paul was the only Republican to vote “yes,” while Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote “no.”
Several Democrats say lawmakers have been asked to rely almost entirely on classified briefings and that the public still does not have clear answers about the war’s objectives or timeline.
“We’re tired of the classified briefings. We’re tired of hiding this from the public.” Kaine said.
“I’d like administration officials to be under oath when they answer questions about that and about what our aims are and how long this war is going to last,” Schiff added.
Baldwin, for her part, said that she was not “convinced” by the classified briefing about the rationale behind the war.
“Nothing was offered to show me that we were under attack, imminent attack, or that it was reasonable to believe that that might be something that we were at risk of,” she said.
The pressure campaign comes as the Trump administration keeps sending mixed signals about where the war is headed. Over the weekend, Trump pointed to a broader conflict, demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and refusing to rule out ground troops, while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that more American casualties are likely. But by Monday, Trump was also suggesting that the war, which he called a “little excursion,” would end “very soon.”
“The big risk in the war has been over for three days,” Trump said during a press conference at his Florida golf club Monday. “We wiped them out in the first two days.”
Still, Trump suggested that the conflict was not over and that the U.S. would “go further” in the coming days.
The war has already come with a cost. Seven U.S. service members have been killed in Iranian attacks since the fighting began, according to U.S. officials, and more than a dozen others have been wounded. Civilian casualties have also risen.
Iranian retaliation has hit U.S. and allied sites across the region, while U.S. and Israeli strikes have continued against Iranian military targets. The fighting has also shaken energy markets, pushing oil prices higher and raising fears about shipping through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
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