The vote is a win for the White House and a sign of how much leeway Republicans and some Democrats are willing to give President Trump to take unilateral military action against Tehran.
The resolution, offered by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), was rejected 47-53. One Democrat — John Fetterman (Pa.) — voted “no,” and one Republican — Rand Paul (Ky.) — voted “yes.”
Many Democrats, and even some Republicans, have argued that the White House was required to seek consent from Congress before green-lighting last weekend’s strike.
But the White House received backup from Republican leadership on the Hill, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) going so far as to suggest the War Powers Act is unconstitutional.
The Iran strike reignited an old tug-of-war between the executive branch and Congress over war powers.
Trump twice vetoed resolutions related to the War Powers Act in his first term, including one aimed at curtailing his powers to strike Iran.
Congress also confronted the question when President Barack Obama authorized air strikes on Libya in 2011.
A pair of briefings in the Senate and House on Thursday and Friday did little to satisfy Democrats.
House Democrats left their Friday morning largely grumbling at what they described as “propaganda” and a “waste of time.”
The sentiment was similar among Democratic senators following their Thursday afternoon session.
