Senate to Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution as Fuel Prices Roil Midterms

Senators will vote Thursday on a war powers resolution aimed at halting President Donald Trump's military action in Iran, a measure that has become a flashpoint in the midterm election campaign and a rare test of Republican loyalty to the White House.

The vote comes days after Trump's address to the United Nations, in which he threatened to "annihilate" Iran. For lawmakers, it is likely the final chance before November to go on record about a conflict that has now stretched past seven months.

Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat who pushed the resolution forward, said Republicans had spent months defending what he called a ridiculous and illegal war without listening to their constituents, and were only now breaking with the president.

More Republicans have begun peeling away as the war drags on. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he would back the resolution, declaring, "We've got to break the cycle."

War powers resolutions carry no force of law and do not reach the president's desk. They remain among the sharpest tools Congress has to register disapproval of the White House short of cutting off funds for military operations.

Republican unrest has surfaced as stubbornly high fuel prices squeeze household budgets. Diesel costs have nearly doubled, topping $6 a gallon, according to AAA. A new survey found about half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off than when Trump returned to office, with groceries, gas and healthcare ranking as their top concerns.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, returning from campaign stops in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, urged Trump to deliver a prime-time address explaining the war's strategy and end game, saying people are confused about the war and upset about the cost of living. He has not, however, committed to voting against the war.

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he opposes the resolution and believes the president is acting within his authority, arguing the focus should be on cost-of-living issues.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the Republicans now distancing themselves from what he called Trump's failed economy, saying they were suddenly waking up.

This marks the 14th time the Senate has taken up a war powers resolution since Trump launched the conflict on Feb. 28. Earlier this month, the House approved such a resolution for a third time, with seven Republicans joining Democrats, including two from battleground Iowa.

The Senate has rarely succeeded in confronting Trump through the measure. In June, it passed a war powers resolution after four GOP senators joined Democrats, but Republicans reversed course the next day after Trump berated them at a private lunch. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who defended his vote in a shouting match with Trump, later switched to oppose the resolution after a personal White House briefing.

With the war costing $43.5 billion so far, Congress is exploring other avenues. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before GOP leadership adjourned the House, sending lawmakers home to campaign and avoiding a potential vote. The White House's request for an additional $87.6 billion for the war and other needs has stalled in Congress.

Created after the Vietnam War to hold presidents accountable for military action, the war powers act requires a president to seek congressional approval within 60 days of hostilities — or risk disapproval — testing the constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches.