US Senate Passes Resolution Urging Trump to Halt War with Iran, 4 Republicans Defect

Key News on US-Iran War

(CNA Washington, March 23, Combined Wires) The United States Senate today passed a War Powers Resolution with 50 votes in favor and 48 against, with four Republican senators defecting, demanding that President Trump cease hostilities with Iran. This is the latest check on the White House by Congress amid US-Iran negotiations.

According to reports from Agence France-Presse and Reuters, this measure was previously passed by the House of Representatives this month, reflecting a growing concern about a war with Iran even within Trump's Republican Party.

The resolution states that US forces must be withdrawn from hostilities with Iran unless Trump obtains explicit authorization from Congress for military action. However, as this is a "concurrent resolution," it will not be sent to Trump for signature, and its legal binding force is disputed.

This vote was forcefully initiated by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, with the aim of creating a formal record of the Republicans' stance. Prior to this, several Trump allies had expressed concerns about the war and the terms of Trump's agreement to end it.

In his floor speech before the vote, Schumer stated, "Republicans can complain all they want behind closed doors about Trump's war, his secretive approach, and his disastrous deal with Iran, but the only way to ensure this war is truly ended is for Republicans to act."

In this vote, four Republican senators defected and voted in favor: Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against.

Poll results released today by Reuters/Ipsos show that only a quarter of Americans believe the cost of a war with Iran is worth it, and most are concerned that a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran may not be sustainable.

Notably, this is the first time since the passage of the War Powers Act in 1973 that both the Senate and the House of Representatives have simultaneously passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of US forces from hostilities.

Although this resolution may be largely symbolic, the vote is still a clear setback for Trump, who until recently had the near-unanimous support of Republican lawmakers in Congress. Currently, the Republican Party holds only slim majorities in both the Senate and the House. (Compiled by Zhang Mingxuan) 1150624

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