Schumer Vows Weekly Votes to Rein in Trump's 45-Day Iran War

Senate Democrats are escalating their campaign to constrain President Trump's military authority, introducing a new war powers resolution and promising weekly votes as the conflict with Iran enters its 46th day.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Democrats will force a vote this week on the latest of 10 war powers resolutions, aiming to curb President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran that he termed an "epic failure." The move comes 45 days into the conflict, with Democrats highlighting rising gasoline prices to pressure Republicans who have so far blocked all attempts to reassert congressional control over the war.

"Forty-five days into this war, Congress has been sidelined because our Republican colleagues refuse to take a strong stand against this war and duck it completely because they're afraid of Trump," Schumer said in a Senate speech. "If Republicans block it, we will vote again and again."

The Democratic strategy reveals internal divisions, with House leadership under Hakeem Jeffries exploring the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, a path many senators view as unrealistic. While progressives like Rep. Al Green have forced impeachment votes, Schumer’s focus remains on war powers, with Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran, sponsoring the next resolution. Republicans, however, remain largely unified behind the president, with Senate leader John Thune calling the military effort "extraordinarily successful" and arguing a congressional authorization won't be necessary.

The legislative battle creates a high-stakes political test ahead of the November elections, linking foreign policy to kitchen-table issues like the dollar-per-gallon increase in gas prices. While the resolutions are unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, the repeated votes are designed to increase the political cost for Trump and his allies, complicating the administration's negotiating position as it simultaneously tries to finalize a ceasefire agreement with Iran.

US-Iran Talks Hang in Balance

The political maneuvering in Washington unfolds against a backdrop of fragile diplomacy. President Trump said Tuesday that talks to end the war could resume in Pakistan within two days, following the collapse of weekend negotiations. The U.S. has since imposed a blockade on Iranian ports to increase pressure on Tehran. While a framework agreement to end the conflict is reportedly close, Iranian officials stated they could not "all-pan accept" the American proposal. A key sticking point reported by The Wall Street Journal is a U.S. demand for a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment, a duration Trump himself has expressed reservations about.

Republicans Dismiss Constitutional Crisis

Republicans have consistently blocked the Democrats' war powers resolutions, arguing the president's actions are legal and necessary. They contend that the Constitution grants the president authority as commander-in-chief to order limited, short-term military operations to protect U.S. interests without a formal declaration of war from Congress. "I think the administration has a clear objective, a clear plan, and if they can execute on it, that question of whether Congress should authorize a prolonged conflict won't be a necessary one," said Senator John Thune. This view is contested by Democrats and some constitutional scholars, who argue the 45-day conflict has exceeded the scope of short-term operations, necessitating congressional approval.

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