Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to block a bill sponsored by Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) that would halt American hostilities in Iran.
The resolution to reassert Congress’ war powers failed in a largely party-line vote of 47-52, with most Republicans voting to oppose the measure.
What is the War Powers Resolution?
The War Powers Resolution would require the president to alert Congress to any use of U.S. military force within 48 hours. The legislation then calls for the president to get a green light from Congress after 60 days of war, with an added 30-day grace period.
That deadline would fall at the end of April for the Iran War.
Which Senators voted against the War Powers Resolution? Who voted in support?
All Senate Democrats voted in support of the measure besides Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). This includes Duckworth and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stood as the only Republican to not oppose the bill.
Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) did not cast a vote.
Who is Tammy Duckworth?
Duckworth is an Illinois Democrat and Purple Heart recipient who lost her legs serving in the Iraq War.
She previously served as the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and has represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate since 2016.
Duckworth introduced the War Powers Resolution in March following the U.S. and Israel’s coordinated military attack on Iran.
In an emotional plea on the floor of the legislative chamber, Duckworth said Trump administration officials have failed to adequately explain the president’s rationale behind entering into the conflict.
“They need to respect the American people enough to finally tell them why they are being forced to bear the cost of this conflict,” she said, “both in dollars in cents, and daughters and sons.”
Will the Senate vote on the War Powers Act again?
Though the resolution was widely expected to fail, it marked the beginning of a new phase in Democrats’ pressure campaign in Congress to pull U.S. forces from the Middle East war. They vowed to continue calling up similar resolutions in the coming weeks.
Those votes will likely become more difficult for Senate Republicans, some of whom have signaled they wouldn’t support continued military operations in the region past a certain date without an official declaration of war or authorization for use of military force from Congress.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Senate blocks Illinois lawmaker’s resolution to end US strikes in Iran
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall and Zachary Schermele, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
