Senate to Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution on Thursday

Trump opposes vote, says its a sign of weakness

Slowed down previously by the impeachment, S.J. Res 68, the Iran War Powers Act challenge, is finally to come up in the Senate on Thursday. Debate is expected to begin early in the morning, with a vote later.

The resolution points out what is already true, that Congress has never authorized a US war against Iran, and that subsequently such a war would be illegal. The language also instructs the removal of US forces from any unauthorized hostility against Iran.

The resolution is expected to have overwhelming support among Democrats, with support among antiwar Republicans key to getting it passed. President Trump has issued Tweets opposing the resolution as a sign of weakness, claiming he’s “doing very well with Iran” and that Americans overwhelmingly supported his attacks on Iranian targets.

A number of amendments are under consideration for the resolution, with roll call votes expected for six amendments. Pushing amendments and spreading out the debate is the chosen tactic of Republican leadership that opposes the resolution.

Supporters say they are hoping for an organized debate ending at 1:45 pm, with a vote to follow. Others have said they expect the process to take all day, and the vote would be some time later.

Those wishing to call their Senators to express their support for (or opposition to) S.J. Res. 68 can find contact information here. Calls should be made as soon as possible, because the timing of the votes isn’t clear.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.