Senate Once More Rejects Effort To Rein In Trump On Iran

By Staff, Agencies

The Senate on Tuesday shot down a Democrat-led effort to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to continue the US-"Israeli" war on Iran without congressional approval, voting 53–47 largely along party lines.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to vote in support of the measure, while Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a staunch supporter of "Israel", broke from his party to vote against it.

The outcome mirrors a vote held less than a week ago, when senators voted 53-47 on a similar measure as part of an ongoing Democratic push to limit or curtail Trump's attacks on Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.

A “war powers resolution” invokes a 1973 law requiring presidents to consult Congress before deploying troops and to withdraw them within 60 days without approval.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who introduced the resolution, cast it as a way to spotlight an issue he says Republicans are dodging as the war drives up energy prices and the White House prepares a $200 billion funding request.

"It's our only opportunity to debate the war, which is tragic," Murphy told reporters earlier Tuesday. "And we need to continue to put Republicans on record. This war is not getting more popular as time goes on."

Democrats have repeatedly used war powers resolutions to try to stop Trump from attacking other countries, but Republicans have largely backed the president, with no such legislation passing.

Democrats have filed at least three resolutions to force a Senate vote on ending US involvement against Iran—efforts by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia were both blocked by Republicans.

The votes come as Trump has signaled a desire to end the war, facing enormous pressure over rising energy prices and alarms of a global economic downturn.

At the same time, US officials are reportedly weighing a ground invasion of Kharg Island—Iran’s main oil export hub in the Gulf—to pressure Tehran over Strait of Hormuz shipping.

Earlier, a US official confirmed to the Jerusalem Post that "the US military has accelerated the deployment of thousands of Marines and Navy personnel to the Middle East."

Despite the administration's stated desire to wind down the war, the Pentagon is simultaneously requesting massive additional funding and deploying more forces, reflecting the deep contradictions in Washington's approach to a war that has now entered its fourth week with no clear end in sight.

It is obvious that President Trump not only lacks an understanding of his goals for this war, but that he severely underestimated Iran's impressive capacity to defend itself.