List of Republicans Who Backed Democratic Bid To End Trump’s Iran War
Four Republican senators sided with nearly all Democratic members on a resolution calling for President Donald Trump to end the war with Iran or seek congressional authorization.
The GOP lawmakers were: Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Susan Collins of Maine; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Pennsylvania's Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat who voted against the resolution, which failed 49-50. The measure had been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 15. It was the third time the House has passed a similar war powers resolution.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment out of hours and is awaiting a response.
Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, which involved joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran with aims that included deteriorating the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities.
However, months of conflict with no end in sight and a spike in gas prices at the pump caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have taken their toll on Trump's standing ahead of the midterm elections as he faces accusations that he bypassed Congress to wage war.
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, Congress can adopt resolutions telling the president to end a conflict that has not been authorized by a declaration of war or specific legislation.
However, the Supreme Court has not ruled on the law’s constitutionality, which has been a point of debate among analysts.
On July 23, a measure introduced into the House of Representatives, "directing the president, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran" was passed 214 to 208.
On Thursday, the measure was defeated in the Senate, although Tillis voted for the war powers resolution for the first time. The other GOP Senators Collins, Murkowski and Paul had voted for previous resolutions directing Trump to end the war.
"We’re reaching a point to where we just need answers," Tillis told The Hill. "We got to know what success looks like."
Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, who had previously said the Trump administration had made little effort to consult with Congress about the war, appeared undecided earlier Thursday, according to The Hill, but voted against the resolution. Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland missed the vote.
The war has passed the six-month mark with no signs of a deal to end hostilities. Trump said in September he believes the U.S. war with Iran will end after November’s midterm elections, but the conflict is becoming ever more unpopular.
A poll by CNN and SSRS this week showed 64 percent of Americans do not think the U.S. is winning, while only 36 percent agreed.
Meanwhile, the National Iranian American Council Action (NIAC Action) has challenged Trump’s war against Iran, arguing that it is unconstitutional.
On Thursday, a federal lawsuit on behalf of NIAC Action was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It calls for the court to declare that the military campaign against Iran violates the Constitution’s Declare War Clause.
"The Constitution does not permit a President to wage war indefinitely and ask Congress for permission later," attorney Alan B. Morrison, acting on NIAC Action's behalf, said in a statement to Newsweek. "Congress never authorized this war, yet, months later, the bombing and blockade continued."
Update, 09/25/2026 5:29 a.m. ET: this article was updated with more information.
