Washington — The Senate on Tuesday declined a Democratic-led resolution aimed at curbing President Trump’s authority to conduct military operations in Iran, rejecting the measure 53-47 in a near party-line vote.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, needed a simple majority to advance but fell short as all Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed it and all Democrats except Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania supported it. Democrats have repeatedly filed war powers measures since fighting began Feb. 28 to block further U.S. military action in Iran without explicit congressional approval and to compel public testimony from administration officials about the campaign’s justification.
Murphy warned on the Senate floor that the United States is effectively at war and that elected officials should not let military action proceed without public scrutiny. Sen. Tim Kaine, a leader of the effort, argued that any action that risks American lives warrants rigorous congressional examination.
The Trump administration and most Senate Republicans countered that the president retains the authority to order military action under the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution, particularly when acting in self-defense. The administration has repeatedly described Iran as posing an ‘‘imminent’’ threat to the United States, a characterization critics dispute.
Mr. Trump has said the conflict will end soon, but an exit strategy remains unclear. Pentagon officials have prepared detailed plans for the possible deployment of U.S. ground forces into Iran as the administration weighs next steps.
On Monday, the president announced that planned strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure were postponed for five days. The White House has also signaled that talks are ongoing; Iran has denied direct talks, though a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official told CBS News that the U.S. transmitted a message to Tehran through mediators.
This was the third time Senate Republicans have blocked war-powers resolutions since hostilities escalated; a separate bid last year after strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities also failed.
House Democrats could pursue their own war powers measure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that conversations are underway about moving forward ‘‘sooner rather than later,’’ but he was noncommittal on timing and stressed that when Democrats bring a measure to the floor they intend to win.
The vote reflects the deep partisan divide over congressional oversight of the campaign and the balance of war powers between the White House and Congress as the situation with Iran remains fluid.