The US Senate on Wednesday rejected a resolution that sought to restrict President Donald Trump’s military authority over Iran, reversing a vote from the previous day that had signaled growing congressional concern over the war.
The measure would have required Trump to seek congressional approval before expanding military operations under the War Powers Act.
Trump, who accused Congress of siding with Tehran following the first vote, welcomed the new result. “This vote puts Iran on notice!” the president posted to his Truth Social account on Thursday.
The reversal came after Trump held a closed-door meeting with Republican senators, during which he pressured lawmakers to reject the effort to constrain his authority in military operations against Iran, according to the Associated Press.
The resolution failed 50-47 after two Republican senators changed their positions: Rand Paul, who had supported the measure, did not vote, while Bill Cassidy voted against it.
CNN reported that Wednesday’s vote marked the 11th time the Senate had considered an Iran war powers measure since the beginning of the year.
Separately, the White House requested an additional $87.6 billion in funding from Congress, with most of the package directed toward costs linked to military operations against Iran, in a move signaling the administration’s expectation of continued military spending.
The request includes more than $67 billion for the Department of Defense to replace munitions used during operations, rebuild strategic stockpiles, and support military readiness.
The funding request comes as the Trump administration faces opposition from some lawmakers over the war’s management and military decision-making.
In recent weeks, several lawmakers have criticized what they described as the sidelining of Congress’s role in military decisions, calling for clearer briefings on the progress of operations and their objectives.
Cassidy, who initially backed the War Powers resolution, along with the goal of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, had stated in May that the “White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark.”
After meeting with Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, Cassidy reversed his vote, saying his concerns had been addressed and reversed his vote.
