US Senate advances measure to limit Trump’s military authority over Iran

The US Senate has taken an initial step toward limiting President Donald Trump’s military powers, with NBC News reporting that the chamber voted to advance a resolution aimed at restricting the president’s authority over military action.

The resolution would require the US president to halt all military activity directed at Iran or obtain separate authorization from Congress for the use of force.

In the Senate floor vote, 50 senators backed advancing the measure, while 47 voted against it.

The date for a final vote on the resolution has not yet been determined. NBC News reported that the outcome largely reflected the absence of three Republican senators from the chamber during the vote.

The lawmakers who did not participate were identified as Texas Senator John Cornyn, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville.

Should all three vote against the measure in the final vote, the balance in the Senate would shift to an even split, effectively resulting in the resolution’s rejection.

Under the US Constitution, the authority to declare war rests exclusively with Congress. However, many US leaders have argued that this constitutional provision does not extend to short-term military operations or to situations in which the country faces a direct threat.

Democratic Party lawmakers have previously brought the restriction measure to a vote on multiple occasions.

Those earlier Democratic efforts to advance the resolution were rejected in the Senate after running into opposition from the Republican Party, which held the chamber’s majority seats.