US Senate fails to vote on resolution that could limit Trump’s ability to attack Iran without congressional authorization
The US Senate has failed to vote on a major resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump's ability to conduct military operations against Iran without prior congressional approval. The decision came on the eve of intense political discussions and rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. 100 senators took part in the vote: 47 of them supported the initiative, while 53 voted against. At least 51 votes were needed to pass the resolution. Thus, the project did not receive enough votes and was rejected. In total, there was only one vote of support among Republicans - Senator Rand Paul, who, together with several Democrats, advocated limiting Trump's military powers. At the same time, Senator John Fetterman, an ardent supporter of Israel, voted in support from Democrats, while other Republicans opposed the initiative. The resolution was authored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a longtime advocate of strict adherence to congressional authorization procedures for war. In his statement, he emphasized that current events show that military decisions are too important to be entrusted to a single leader without additional legislative support. “I am convinced that war is a serious matter, and it should be coordinated with Congress, not left to the discretion of one person,” he said. The vote took place less than a week after President Trump ordered a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This decision drew criticism both in the United States and in Iran. The background to the conflict was Trump’s statement, which ruthlessly spoke about the possibility of further bombing Iranian facilities if he considered it necessary to protect US interests. Iran responded by calling on Washington's leader to abandon "disrespectful and unpredictable rhetoric," stressing that this would not contribute to reaching any agreements. Overall, the voting results indicate a growing internal contradiction in American policy regarding foreign policy and military action. By cooperating or even overlapping in voting, Democrats and Republicans show that the issue of military intervention remains a complex and sensitive one, and attempts to limit executive power currently do not receive sufficient support in the Senate. This, again under the guise of security, leaves open the question of who in the United States has the final say on war and peace in the international arena.