US Senate Again Rejects Resolution to Limit Trump's War Powers Regarding Iran
The United States Senate has once again rejected, by a slim margin, a resolution intended to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers regarding Iran. The resolution demanded that Trump either end the war against Iran or seek Congressional authorisation to continue the conflict.
As reported by Reuters on Saturday (26/09/2026), the resolution represents the latest effort by the Democratic Party to corner the Republican Party regarding the conflict, which has sparked domestic criticism in the US ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.
Amid polls showing that the Republican Party, supporters of Trump, are struggling to maintain their narrow lead in Congress leading up to the midterms, an increasing number of Republican politicians are distancing themselves from the Iran war issue, which has contributed to rising food and fuel prices in the US.
The vote held by the US Senate on Thursday (24/09) local time ended with a narrow result: 50 votes against the resolution, while 49 voted in favour. Most US Senators voted along party lines.
Only four Republican Senators—Senator Susan Collins from Maine, Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky, Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, and Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska—voted in support of the resolution.
One Democratic Senator, John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, voted against the resolution, which had previously been passed by the US House of Representatives in July.
This vote is largely symbolic. The Trump administration has not altered its policies in response to previous votes regarding war powers.
The latest Senate vote was held two days after Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran during his speech at the UN General Assembly.
The Democratic Party views this vote as a way to force the Republican Party to take an official stance on a conflict that is becoming increasingly unpopular with US voters. Only 34 respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week expressed agreement with US attacks on Iran.
US Senate Has Voted on Trump’s War Powers Resolution 14 Times, Only 2 Approved
The US Senate has held votes on resolutions to limit Trump’s war powers regarding Iran 14 times this year. However, the resolution has only gained a majority of US Senators twice.
The US House of Representatives has held six votes on similar resolutions, with three of those votes resulting in support for ending the conflict.
However, so far, only one resolution has successfully passed both the House of Representatives and the US Senate. Even then, the White House continued to ignore the resolution.
The US Constitution stipulates that only Congress—not the president—has the authority to declare war. The Democratic Party argues that Trump may have dragged the nation into a prolonged conflict due to his failure to present a clear strategy.
On the other side, the Republican Party maintains that Trump’s actions remain within the scope of his authority as the US Commander-in-Chief.