The Lone Republican Who Voted In Support of Limiting Trump's War Powers on Iran

The Senate for a third time rejected the chance to rein in President Donald Trump’s ability to use military force against Iran without Congressional approval. 

Despite concern among lawmakers over the far-reaching nature and growing cost of the Iran war, Republican and Democrat Senators voted largely along party lines as they failed to advance the war powers resolution, with the final count coming in at 53-47. 

The resolution, this time put forward by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, would have directed “the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.” 

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to break from his party to vote against advancing the measure. The lawmaker has previously voiced his support of Operation Epic Fury, the Trump Administration’s moniker for the military campaign against Iran.

“I think [the war] is very effective and I do think it’s moving towards the kind of appropriate outcome,” Fetterman said on March 12, adding that he’s “aware of how punishing it is as a Democrat to agree with him [Trump] on anything.” 

But it was arguably Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky’s ballot that, yet again, stood out the most. 

While the rest of the Republicans blocked the attempt to halt further military action without the approval of Congress, Paul voted in favor of the resolution.  

In the hours leading up to the Senate roll call on Tuesday, President Donald Trump lashed out at Paul and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky over the fact they have previously voted against party lines on key issues, including the Iran war powers resolution. 

Trump took umbrage at the fact that Paul has previously heralded him as a great President, yet doesn’t fall in line with various GOP positions.  

“Vote for us, and don’t call me great,” said Trump. “I’d rather have the vote, than the statement.”

In what appeared to be a warning, he added: “We have people that don’t stick together, and those people, hopefully, will someday be gone.”

Sen. Paul's criticism of the Iran war

Paul has been a vocal critic of the war since the U.S. and Israel first launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Notably, the Trump Administration did not seek approval from Congress before doing so.  

Congress’ ability to declare war comes under Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution's Article 1, and Congress has used this power on 11 occasions. 

“Only Congress can declare war,” Paul said after the first failed war powers vote. “That's not my opinion. That's Article 1 of the Constitution. We forced the vote. The Senate said ‘no.’ History will not be kind to a Congress that gave away its most solemn responsibility.”

Paul recently argued that a vote in Congress would “provide the nation with the only opportunity to discuss whether the country understands and accepts the inevitable sacrifices of war, especially the loss of life.”

Insisting Americans—who are already feeling the impact of the war through raised gas prices—have been “robbed” of a public debate, Paul added: “The congressional leadership, resigned to their own irrelevance, will gladly hand the president the power to initiate war in exchange for plausible deniability.”

The financial implications of war and the U.S. national debt

Like several other Republicans, Paul has also raised grave concerns about the financial implications of the Iran war, which has already cost at least $12 billion.

Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon had asked the White House to approve a $200 billion request to Congress to fund the Iran war—a figure he stressed “could move.”

Paul laid out his concerns about the growing cost of the war on Tuesday, telling reporters: “I’m not for adding more debt, I think adding more [debt] makes us less safe.

Urging for de-escalation, he added: “I think the war should come to a conclusion as soon as possible.” 

 The U.S. national debt soared past the $39 trillion mark last week amid the Iran war discourse, prompting some lawmakers to question the spending priorities of the Trump Administration.

Paul has previously claimed that the biggest threat to the U.S. national security is not from international adversaries but rather the country’s own debt.

“I don't think we were ever in danger of Iranian troops of the navy coming over to the United States,” he said in an interview. “What we are in danger of is becoming so over-extended.” 

Correction, Mar. 26

The original version of this story misstated which state Sen. Chris Murphy serves. It is Connecticut, not Massachusetts.