It was a close one in the end: a 50-48 decision to rein in any unauthorised use of force against Iran. That has not gone over well with Donald Trump, who has been quick to say it saps the US of its edge in current discussions and shows just how divided his own party has become as we try to make headway with Tehran.
The senators put through a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to keep things from spiralling without their say-so. The House had already given the nod to something like it this month, so you have to see it as an unusual show of unity in putting pressure on the president’s war-making at a time when diplomacy is on the line.
Fallout for diplomacy and politics
Trump’s take is that it’s a gift to the Iranians. He says they’ve been on his team’s case about what happened in the Senate, and he sees it as sowing some uncertainty about where the US stands while we’re in the middle of both talking and posturing with them.
He has no kind words for the ‘poorly timed and meaningless’ vote, and he’s put out there that those behind it are being of ‘aid and comfort’ to our opposition. In his view, Iran was right on the cusp of some big give-and-take before the legislature put in its oar.
Trump’s charge and GOP tensions
You can’t miss the way he’s called out his own side. Four of his fellow Republicans got the ‘Republican Losers’ label for going along with the Democrats. ‘I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!’ he said, even if the vote makes for a steeper climb.
There’s a split in the room. Some heavy-hitters in the party like Wicker, Cotton and Cruz have been voicing their misgivings with the administration’s overall posture on Iran, and it shows a party at odds over where to draw the line between firmness and holding back.
What the resolution does – and does not do
In short, it tells the President to stand down from any hostilities with Iran unless we have a declaration of war or some form of authorisation from us in Congress. Those for it will tell you it is simply a matter of upholding the Constitution.
Don’t be under the impression it has the power to force the White House to put a stop to anything. But it is a first: after a few duds in the past, this is the first one to make it through the Senate.
A narrow vote and public break with the President
The 50-48 count was a cross-party affair. You had Murkowski, Paul, Cassidy and Collins with the Democrats in favour. On the other side, John Fetterman was the only Democrat to hold his ground and vote no.
That kind of defection gives Trump a harder time of it when he’s trying to send a message to the Iranians. On Truth Social he made it plain he thinks the Senate has let on that they don’t support his way of doing things, and that it muddies the waters of talks he thought were working.
Why it matters now
This comes down to earth at a moment when Washington and Tehran are in the process of ironing out a deal. We’re seeing some movement on a peace plan and a wider set of issues, from sanctions to the nukes.
Some will have you believe the resolution is a check on the executive branch. Others think it’s a signal to our enemies to be bolder. Either way, it is a point of contention in policy and in the halls of power.
For the time being, here is what is on the table for the lawmakers and the White House:
– A reassertion of Congress’s role in waging war
– Ongoing talks with Iran
– And, as Trump would have it, a question mark over the White House’s hand in the deal
Now we’ll see if we can put some distance between our domestic squabbles and the need for good diplomacy. The next few weeks will tell us if we can move forward or if the fault lines in Washington are only going to make dealing with Tehran more of a chore.
