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Four GOP Senators Defect on Iran War Powers
Developing
In Short: Four Republican senators voted with Democrats to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran, despite most Republicans sticking to his stance.
Four Republican senators broke ranks with President Donald Trump on Thursday, voting with Democrats to limit his war powers in Iran as the conflict nears the eight-month mark.
The vote came as Republicans face increasing pressure from voters concerned about rising fuel prices and the ongoing war.
Sen. Thom Tillis, who is retiring at the end of the year, cited the administration's failure to involve Congress within 60 days as the reason for his vote.
Despite this defection, most Republican senators remained aligned with Trump, who told reporters this week that he would be helping the Republican Party run in the upcoming elections but was not running himself.
The vote reflects a growing divide within the Republican Party as the war continues to impact voters' concerns about gas prices and other economic issues.
What this adds
This report adds new details about Tillis's reasoning and the impact of rising fuel prices on the Republican stance.
The sources have not established the exact number of Republican senators who voted against Trump or the specific economic impacts on voters.
Background
Four Republican senators defected from President Donald Trump's stance on the Iran war, voting with Democrats to limit his war powers as the conflict approaches the eight-month mark.
A handful of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution aimed at reining in President Trump's war powers in Iran, marking a rare political divide within the party.
What's still developing
- Though vulnerable Republicans on the campaign trail broke with Trump earlier this week, calling for an "immediate end" to the war, lawmakers on the Hill stuck with him and defeated another attempt by Democrats to rein in his war authorities as the conflict nears the eight-month mark.
- Thursday’s vote comes as Republicans are getting an earful about the war, particularly over skyrocketing gas and diesel prices, on the campaign trail.