Senate Rejects an Iran War Powers Resolution 47-53, Six Days After the Strikes

On June 27, 2025, the Senate voted 47-53 against discharging Sen. Tim Kaine's war powers resolution, which would have barred further offensive U.S. military action against Iran absent a declaration of war or a new authorization for the use of military force. The vote came six days after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that were carried out without prior congressional authorization. Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote in favor; Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against. Kaine argued on the floor that 'we shouldn't premise a decision to send our sons and daughters into war on the judgment of a single person.'

The War Powers Resolution gives Congress a privileged mechanism to force a vote on hostilities the President initiates. Its defeat left the legislative branch with no operative constraint on further strikes and effectively ratified, by inaction, an assertion of unilateral executive war-making authority.

The resolution failed and no subsequent authorization was sought or granted during June 2025.