Republican senators on Wednesday rejected a resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking further US military action against Iran, reported CNN.
The Senate voted 47 to 53 to block the measure. Republican Senator Rand Paul joined almost all Democrats in voting to advance the resolution, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted with Republicans to defeat it.
Even if the measure had advanced, it faced significant obstacles on Capitol Hill. The resolution would have had to pass through a full amendment process in the Senate before moving to the House of Representatives. It also likely would have faced a presidential veto, which would require a two-thirds majority in Congress to override.
The decision by Republican senators to oppose the measure came after Trump criticized five members of his party who had supported a previous war powers resolution regarding military action in Venezuela. Of those five senators, only Paul again voted to limit the president’s authority.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the issue on Thursday.