4 Republicans to back Senate war powers resolution, giving it a majority

It looks like the Senate will pass a resolution to restrict President Trump's military authority on Iran, following a similar vote from the House last week.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who introduced the resolution, said Tuesday he has the 51 votes necessary to get it passed. It's a bipartisan effort, considering there are only 47 Democrats in Congress' upper chamber. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined three of her GOP colleagues — Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — who had already announced they would back Kaine's bill.

The resolution came about after Trump approved an airstrike in Iraq earlier this month that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, heightening already-simmering tensions between Tehran and Washington. Things have cooled down since then, but Congress is still trying to ensure the country isn't rushed into a major conflict. "This should be the hardest decision we make," Kaine said. "And because we're going to be ordering young men and women to risk their lives, we shouldn't do it unless we have the guts to have the debate." Tim O'Donnell

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up