Senate blocks Iran war powers resolution
The Senate on Friday blocked an effort to prevent President Trump from taking future military action against Iran without authorization from Congress, less than a week after he directed strikes aimed at its nuclear capabilities.
Senators voted 47-53 largely along party lines against the war powers resolution.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone GOP lawmaker to vote with Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), an ardent backer of Israel, voted with Republicans.
Fifty-one votes were needed for it to pass.
The resolution was authored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who has long been a supporter of Congress asserting itself to greenlight authorizations of war.
'I think the events of this week have demonstrated that war is too big to be consigned to the decisions of any one person,' Kaine said on the floor ahead of the Friday evening tally.
The vote came after days of complaints from Democrats on the Iran issue.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that administration officials called to tell him ahead of time that strikes were happening, but declined to tell him where or divulge any other information.
Democrats have also questioned the veracity of Trump's claim that the Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted were 'completely destroyed.' That was especially the case after a preliminary classified report indicated that the strikes did not destroy core components of the Iran nuclear program and likely only set it back by a matter of months. More recent statements from the CIA and Trump's head of national intelligence have disputed the report.
Those questions were still unanswered after top administration officials — including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine — held a classified briefing for members on Thursday.
While lawmakers appeared satisfied by the answers they received, they were still unsure how much of a setback the strikes will prove to be for Tehran.
'The point is: We don't know,' said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) after the briefing. 'Anybody who says we know with certainty is making it up because we have no final battle damage assessment.'
'Certainly, this mission was successful insofar as it extensively destroyed and perhaps severely damaged and set back the Iranian nuclear arms program. But how long and how much really remains to be determined by the intelligence community itself,' he added.
More congressional Republicans had been expected to jump on board with the war powers push, but some backed off after Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday that has held up in recent days.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has found himself in a lengthy spat with the administration over the strikes and the party's mammoth tax package, withdrew his support for a war powers resolution he had introduced with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
Trump, though, on Friday told reporters that he would not hesitate to approve more strikes against Iran if the intelligence community gathers information in future months and years about the nation's uranium enrichment capabilities.
'Sure, without question, absolutely,' Trump said at a press briefing when asked if a second wave of bombings are possible.
The lion's share of Republicans have given the administration its full backing.
'President Trump protected our country,' Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said on the floor earlier on Friday, pointing to similar strikes during former President Obama's tenure that did not require congressional authorization.
'He did it responsibility, he did it decisively, and he did it constitutionally,' Barrasso said. 'I believe [this resolution] is not needed. … It would prevent the president from protecting us in the future.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
14 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hundreds of thousands mourn top Iranian military commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Guard's chief Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted: 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel.' Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched a war it said meant to destroy Iran's nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities. State media reported more than 1 million people turned out for the funeral procession, which was impossible to independently confirm, but the dense crowd packed the main Tehran thoroughfare along the entire 4.5 kilometer (nearly 3 mile) route. There was no immediate sign of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , in the state broadcast of the funeral. Khamenei, who has not made a public appearance since before the outbreak of the war, has in past funerals held prayers for fallen commanders over their caskets before the open ceremonies, later aired on state television. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was on hand, and state television reported that Gen. Esmail Qaani, who heads the foreign wing of the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, and Gen. Ali Shamkhani were also among the mourners. Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei who was wounded in the first round of Israel's attack and hospitalized, was shown in a civilian suit leaning on a cane in an image distributed on state television's Telegram channel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since it was established, it has evolved from a paramilitary, domestic security force to a transnational force that has come to the aid of Tehran's allies in the Middle East, from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq. It operates in parallel to the country's existing armed forces and controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group. Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people. Saturday's ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children. Authorities closed government offices to allow public servants to attend the ceremonies. Many in the crowd expressed feelings of anger and defiance. 'This is not a ceasefire, this is just a pause,' said 43-year-old Ahmad Mousapoor, waving an Iranian flag. 'Whatever they do, we will definitely give a crushing response.' State media published images of an open grave plot at Tehran's sprawling Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery where army chief of staff, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, who was killed on the first day of the war, was to be buried beside his brother, a Guards commander killed during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war. Many of the others were to be buried in their hometowns. The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency confirmed that the top prosecutor at the notorious Evin prison had been killed in an Israeli strike on Monday. It reported that Ali Ghanaatkar, whose prosecution of dissidents led to widespread criticism by human rights groups, would be buried at a shrine in Qom. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and said its military campaign was necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon. Khamenei's last public appearance was June 11, two days before hostilities with Israel broke out, when he met with Iranian parliamentarians. On Thursday, however, he released a pre-recorded video, in his first message since the end of the war, filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime adversaries. The 86-year-old downplayed U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites as having not achieved 'anything significant' and claimed victory over Israel. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Grossi, has characterized the damage done by American bunker-buster bombs to Iran's Fordo nuclear site, which was built into a mountain, as 'very, very, very considerable.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Blasts $30 Billion Iran Nuclear Deal Report: 'Hoax'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has rejected as a "hoax" media reports that his administration was considering a $30 billion deal to assist Iran in developing civilian nuclear facilities. The reports by CNN and NBC News that the Trump administration was looking at economic incentives for the Islamic Republic to halt its uranium enrichment follow the U.S. military bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Newsweek has contacted the Iranian foreign ministry for comment. President Donald Trump at the White House, on June 27, 2025, in Washington D.C. President Donald Trump at the White House, on June 27, 2025, in Washington It Matters Trump announced a ceasefire this week between Iran and Israel following U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites that followed Israel's Operation Rising Lion aimed at curbing Tehran's ability to make an atomic weapon. Although Trump said the U.S. had obliterated Iran's ability to make a bomb, preliminary intelligence suggests otherwise. Trump's dismissal of the CNN and NBC reports comes amid concern about just how incapacitated Iran's nuclear capacity is. What To Know CNN and NBC reported that the Trump administration had investigated financial incentives for Iran in return for it halting its uranium enrichment. This included releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and helping it build a civilian nuclear program in a potential "$30 billion" deal. The preliminary proposal is one of several the Trump administration is considering although there is no guarantee any would proceed, the outlets reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions. But Trump hit back on Truth Social, in a post that said the reports were "fake news" which pushed a "ridiculous idea." "It's just another HOAX put out by the Fake News in order to demean," added the post. "These people are SICK!!!" Any such deal as reported by CNN and NBC would be a major policy reversal for Trump who during his first term, pulled the U.S. out a 2015 nuclear deal struck with Iran under the Obama administration. Trump also threatened to drop any sanctions relief for Iran after its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared victory in the war against Israel and downplayed the significance of U.S. attacks. Trump said on Friday he had been working on sanctions relief for Iran but railed at the supreme leader's "lie" and statement "of anger, hatred and disgust." Following Trump's orders to attack Iran, the U.S. Senate rejected a Democrat-pushed resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) that aimed to rein in the president's ability to use military action against the Islamic Republic without congressional approval. In a statement to Newsweek, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President Jamal Abdi said despite the "disappointing" result of the vote, Trump had no authorization for war with Iran and the American people don't want him to start one. "We saw a near majority do the right thing and stand up against war and for democracy," Abdi said. "We will continue to press the case that war with Iran is against U.S. interests and U.S. security, and redouble our work to prevent the conflict from reigniting." A state funeral was held on Saturday in Iran for dozens of military commanders and nuclear scientists who were killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel which had sought to destroy the Islamic Republic's ability to make a nuclear bomb. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that 'President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.' Never heard of this ridiculous idea." Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on X: "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei." What Happens Next Questions remain over Iran's nuclear capabilities after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said it is still not known how much highly-enriched uranium and the centrifuges needed to purify it, were destroyed.
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
What's next for birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court's ruling
Here's what to know about birthright citizenship, the Supreme Court's ruling and what happens next. What does birthright citizenship mean? Birthright citizenship makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally. The practice goes back to soon after the Civil War, when Congress ratified the Constitution's 14th Amendment, in part to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,' the amendment states. Advertisement Thirty years later, Wong Kim Ark, a man born in the U.S. to Chinese parents, was refused re-entry into the U.S. after traveling overseas. His suit led to the Supreme Court explicitly ruling that the amendment gives citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., no matter their parents' legal status. It has been seen since then as an intrinsic part of U.S. law, with only a handful of exceptions, such as for children born in the U.S. to foreign diplomats. Trump has long said he wants to do away with birthright citizenship Trump's executive order, signed in January, seeks to deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. It's part of the hardline immigration agenda of the president, who has called birthright citizenship a 'magnet for illegal immigration.' Advertisement Trump and his supporters focus on one phrase in the amendment — 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' – saying it means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally. A series of federal judges have said that's not true, and issued nationwide injunctions stopping his order from taking effect. 'I've been on the bench for over four decades. I can't remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,' U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said at a hearing earlier this year in his Seattle courtroom. In Greenbelt, Maryland, a Washington suburb, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman wrote that 'the Supreme Court has resoundingly rejected and no court in the country has ever endorsed' Trump's interpretation of birthright citizenship. Is Trump's order constitutional? The justices didn't say The high court's ruling was a major victory for the Trump administration in that it limited an individual judge's authority in granting nationwide injunctions. The administration hailed the ruling as a monumental check on the powers of individual district court judges, whom Trump supporters have argued want to usurp the president's authority with rulings blocking his priorities around immigration and other matters. But the Supreme Court did not address the merits of Trump's bid to enforce his birthright citizenship executive order. 'The Trump administration made a strategic decision, which I think quite clearly paid off, that they were going to challenge not the judges' decisions on the merits, but on the scope of relief,' said Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor. Advertisement Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters at the White House that the administration is 'very confident' that the high court will ultimately side with the administration on the merits of the case. Questions and uncertainty swirl around next steps The justices kicked the cases challenging the birthright citizenship policy back down to the lower courts, where judges will have to decide how to tailor their orders to comply with the new ruling. The executive order remains blocked for at least 30 days, giving lower courts and the parties time to sort out the next steps. The Supreme Court's ruling leaves open the possibility that groups challenging the policy could still get nationwide relief through class-action lawsuits and seek certification as a nationwide class. Within hours after the ruling, two class-action suits had been filed in Maryland and New Hampshire seeking to block Trump's order. But obtaining nationwide relief through a class action is difficult as courts have put up hurdles to doing so over the years, said Suzette Malveaux, a Washington and Lee University law school professor. 'It's not the case that a class action is a sort of easy, breezy way of getting around this problem of not having nationwide relief,' said Malveaux, who had urged the high court not to eliminate the nationwide injunctions. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who penned the court's dissenting opinion, urged the lower courts to 'act swiftly on such requests for relief and to adjudicate the cases as quickly as they can so as to enable this Court's prompt review' in cases 'challenging policies as blatantly unlawful and harmful as the Citizenship Order.' Opponents of Trump's order warned there would be a patchwork of polices across the states, leading to chaos and confusion without nationwide relief. Advertisement 'Birthright citizenship has been settled constitutional law for more than a century,' said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, a nonprofit that supports refugees and migrants. 'By denying lower courts the ability to enforce that right uniformly, the Court has invited chaos, inequality, and fear.' Associated Press reporters Mark Sherman and Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed.
