RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Senators Lisa Murkowski, Ted Budd, and Jerry Moran, gather for a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on July 21, 2026. —Tierney L. Cross—Getty Images
The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a largely symbolic effort to limit Trump's Iran war powers , marking the second time in two weeks that such a measure has failed to advance in the upper chamber.
The 49-50 vote on Thursday was mostly along party lines, but with some notable exceptions. As he has done previously, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with GOP lawmakers to sink the measure, while three Republican Senators broke ranks in an effort to curb the Trump Administration’s renewed military campaign .
Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Susan Collins of Maine voted in favor of the war powers resolution, just as they have done before on account of concerns over the lack of congressional oversight relating to the conflict which has now entered its sixth month .
Just last week, Paul told reporters on Capitol Hill that he believes the Iran war has left the U.S. “worse off” than before, citing the continued disruption of a vital trade passage.
“If you look at the militarization of the Strait of Hormuz … there’s not an easy way to un-militarize the Strait. From that point of view, I think we’re in worse shape,” he said .
Paul has long been a vocal critic of the U.S. military operation. In March, he stood alone as the only Republican to vote in support of a previous attempt to rein in Trump’s ability to use military force against Iran without congressional approval.
Murkowski changed her own position in May, when she vowed to “support measures to officially end hostilities and bring our men and women home” moving forward.
Collins had opposed an earlier war powers resolution, arguing it would “send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops.” But she has since also changed her position.
Read More: Nearly 100 U.S. Troops Injured in Two Weeks Since Iran War Resumed, Says Pentagon
Democrats, meanwhile, are continuing to bring forward war powers resolution votes in an effort to showcase, and have a record of, their ardent opposition to Trump carrying out the Iran war.
Last week, the House extended a symbolic rebuke to Trump by approving a resolution to curb the war with a 214 to 208 vote . In June, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed War Powers Act resolutions aimed to restrict the President from continuing the war.
Trump referred to the June votes as “meaningless” and has declined to abide by the resolutions.
“These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done,” he vowed in late June.
Read More : 'This Must End': Lawmakers Demand Termination of Iran War After Three U.S. Service Members Killed
Outside of Congress, public sentiment in America is also showing unease over the conflict and its financial ramifications.
A nationwide AP-NORC poll, conducted between July 23 and July 27, found that 64% of Americans believe the war with Iran has not been worth fighting.
In an earlier poll from Reuters/Ipsos , which surveyed 1,262 American adults across the country over June 18 to 22, just 24% of Americans thought that the war with Iran was worth the costs.
On July 21, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was grilled by the Senate Appropriations Committee over the $37.5 billion cost of the Iran war.
The death of 18 American service members during the conflict has also prompted strong reactions, with lawmakers demanding an immediate end to the hostilities. These simmering issues pose a threat to the Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.
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