WASHINGTON, May 13, 2026, 14:10 EDT
- The Senate turned down S.J.Res. 163, a War Powers resolution that sought to pull U.S. troops out of unauthorized combat operations involving Iran.
- Lisa Murkowski sided with Susan Collins and Rand Paul, marking the Democrats’ most united front against the war so far.
- The vote landed past the 60-day War Powers limit, intensifying debate over the White House’s authority to continue the campaign without Congress.
The Senate narrowly turned down an effort Wednesday to stop President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, with the measure falling short 50-49. Three Republicans crossed party lines in what’s become the tightest vote on the issue so far. S.J.Res. 163 was blocked on a motion to discharge—49 senators voted yes, 50 no, and one missed the vote.
This vote carries weight because it landed after the War Powers Resolution deadline—the 1973 law that says presidents must pull back specific military operations after 60 days unless Congress signs off. The measure itself called for withdrawing U.S. troops from hostilities involving Iran that Congress hadn’t approved.
For the first time, Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski broke ranks and voted against the war effort, siding with GOP colleagues Susan Collins from Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky. On the Democratic side, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the lone holdout, objecting to moving the measure forward, according to AP.
Murkowski’s change of stance delivered Democrats a slim yet unmistakable indication: some Republican discomfort is bubbling up, though Trump’s grip remains firm in the chamber for now. “You’ve got a timeline that has taken us beyond the 60 days,” Murkowski told NOTUS. She also noted a lack of clear updates from the administration on the war’s current status. NOTUS
The Trump administration maintains it’s not seeking new congressional approval, pointing to a ceasefire with Iran as evidence that hostilities have ceased. This week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the administration holds that Trump possesses “all the authorities necessary” should he choose to resume attacks, NOTUS reported. NOTUS
Democrats, along with a slice of Republicans, aren’t convinced. “It doesn’t appear that hostilities have ended,” Sen. Murkowski said Tuesday, noting the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Hegseth, however, told the Washington Post that Trump already had the authority he needed. The Washington Post
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, a leading Democrat behind the repeated war-powers efforts, put it bluntly just before the chamber voted: “There will be a day — and it might be soon, I believe — where this Senate will say to the president, ‘Stop this war.’” Democrats argue that holding weekly votes is designed to ramp up pressure on Trump, either to compel a withdrawal or force him to seek formal approval. AP News
Republican leaders didn’t budge. On the Senate floor, Wyoming’s John Barrasso—second in command for the GOP—declared, “Iran’s economy is on life support,” and charged Democrats with attempting to undermine Trump just as he touched down in China for negotiations with Xi Jinping, according to AP. AP News
With Trump landing in Beijing on Wednesday to meet Xi, the timing couldn’t have been sharper. The agenda is packed: Iran, trade, and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The AP noted the Iran conflict’s effect on energy prices and the pressure it’s putting on Trump at home. Still, Trump told reporters Tuesday Iran was “very much under control.” AP News
Trump faces a tough spot: if the blockade drags on, tankers stay stuck, or there’s more shooting between U.S. troops, his ceasefire pitch could lose traction with voters. The conflict has already all but shut down the Strait of Hormuz, leaving oil and gas ships stranded and pushing energy prices up, according to AP.
Democrats don’t have the numbers yet. The AP noted that even with Senate approval, a War Powers measure would likely stall in the House—then run straight into a near-guaranteed Trump veto.
The margin shifted. Earlier this spring, the Senate had blocked similar Iran-related measures by broader votes: 53-47 on March 4, 53-47 again on March 18, 47-53 on March 24, then 52-47 on April 15, and 51-46 on April 22, based on the Senate’s vote records. But with Wednesday’s single-vote loss, the fight over war powers remains unsettled.
