OMM Redaksiyası
The US Senate has rejected a resolution that would have prevented President Donald Trump from continuing the war with Iran without congressional approval.
Fifty senators voted against the resolution, while 49 voted in favor. The vote largely followed party lines. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska supported the resolution. Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against it.
Content and political significance of the resolution
The document was approved by the House of Representatives in July. It required the president either to end the war with Iran or obtain formal congressional authorization to continue military operations.
The vote was widely described as largely symbolic. The Trump administration did not change its policy after previous votes concerning war powers. The vote took place two days after the president’s address to the UN General Assembly. In that speech, Trump said he could “destroy” the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Under the US Constitution, the authority to declare war belongs to Congress, not the president. Democrats argue that Trump could draw the United States into a prolonged conflict without presenting a clear strategy. Republicans maintain that the president’s actions fall within his authority as commander in chief.
Iran war enters election agenda
The conflict has become one of the main topics of political debate in the United States ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for Nov. 3. The war is reported to have contributed to rising food and fuel prices.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos this week, only 34% of respondents supported US strikes on Iran.
A small number of Republicans have taken positions on the war that differ from Trump’s. Seven Republicans in the House voted with Democrats last week in favor of a resolution concerning war powers.
Zack Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, as well as Nancy Mace of South Carolina, opposed the party leadership’s position on the issue for the first time. Nunn and Miller-Meeks will face competitive races in November. The elections will determine all 435 seats in the House and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. Mace is not seeking reelection after an unsuccessful bid for governor of South Carolina.
Previous votes in Congress
Since US and Israeli forces began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the Senate has considered resolutions concerning war powers related to the Iran war 14 times. Only two of those measures received support.
The House has held six votes, with efforts to end the conflict supported in three of them. Only one resolution passed both chambers, but the White House took no action on it.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans running in competitive districts were increasingly distancing themselves from the war. He said candidates in closely contested districts in states such as Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin were beginning to say that the war should end.
