The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Eric Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Senate on Tuesday made a decision to stop the military attack on Iran after the sudden defection of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, which led to President Donald Trump’s war.
The vote, though preliminary, shows that the Senate now has the votes to force Trump to withdraw troops from Iran or seek federal approval to do more.
Despite the War Powers Resolution moving 50-47, it still has a slim chance of becoming law. It would need to pass a final vote in the Senate, clear the House and Trump will likely veto it. But the vote shows mounting storms in the war with Iran, especially as gasoline prices continue to rise ahead of the summer driving season and through 2026.
Cassidy, who failed to advance in a race against Trump challenged by Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., in the primary election last week, is now in the final months of her term in the Senate. His vote indicates that he is now determined to challenge Trump.
“While I support the administration’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark about Operation Epic Fury,” Cassidy said in a statement on his X account after the vote. “In Louisiana, I have heard from people, including supporters of President Trump, who are concerned about this war. Until the administration provides clarity, no congressional authorization or extension can be justified.”
US Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) attends a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (AID) Committee hearing on the nomination of Marty Makary as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, March 6, 2025.
Kent Nishimura Reuters
War with Iran has now passed the 60-day requirement under the War Powers Act for the president to seek congressional authorization to use military force. Although the Trump administration has challenged the law as unconstitutional, and said the temporary moratorium in early April stopped the clock on the cessation of hostilities.
Republicans, who are widely opposed to the measure, may have again been blocked from allowing the measure to proceed. Several Senators, including Sens. Thom Tillis, RN.C., John Coryn, R-Texas and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., were absent from the vote.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat to vote against the measure, while 46 Republicans voted for it.
Democrats in the House and Senate have advanced more than a dozen military force resolutions since the war in Iran began. So far, they have all been defeated. Some Republicans in Congress, however, have begun to support that the administration seek approval from Congress after the dispute has passed the 60-day point. Congress has the sole authority to declare war, according to the Constitution.
The war, which has been raging for nearly three months, has wreaked havoc on the global economy and pushed up oil prices in the US. fat.
Gas prices in the US are now over $4.53 per gallon on average, according to AAA.
