Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Wednesday he will again vote against a Senate war powers resolution intended to halt U.S. strikes on Iran, reiterating his support for the military and referencing the operation called "Epic Fury."
Fetterman's announcement followed comments from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that the Senate plans to take up the measure next week. Speaking on Fox News's Hannity, Fetterman said he would oppose the resolution because he believes it could constrain U.S. forces during an active operation.
"We have to stand [with] our military to allow them to accomplish the goals of Epic Fury," Fetterman told host Sean Hannity. He added, "I’m old enough to remember we used to root for our military, and we would all agree that Iran is the world’s leading terrorism underwriter."
Last month, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) each supported separate war powers resolutions designed to limit military actions against Iran without explicit congressional authorization. Those measures failed in the Senate; Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against them. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone Republican to back the war powers efforts.
Schumer has argued that Congress must "reassert" its constitutional authority to declare war after the executive branch engaged in strikes without broad congressional approval. The comments come as the administration announced a tenuous two-week ceasefire with Iran; Iranian officials have accused Israel of continuing strikes in Lebanon despite the agreement.
"All of this happens when one man, especially a man acting as unhinged as Donald Trump, has unchecked power to wage war," Schumer told reporters, warning that escalating rhetoric from the president raises risks and uncertainty.
In the House, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said his caucus will try to pass a war powers resolution by unanimous consent during a pro forma session on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. EDT. If the Senate proceeds with the vote next week, lawmakers could see a renewed and public debate over the balance of war powers between Congress and the president.
What’s next: The Senate vote scheduled for next week will test whether lawmakers from both parties will limit the executive branch’s authority over military action in Iran or allow current operations to proceed without further congressional restriction.
