Republicans Give Trump Free Hand on Iran
The US Senate blocked a Democratic initiative to end American troops' participation in combat against Iran, giving President Trump a free hand. Most Republicans voted against, with only a few, including Senator Bill Cassidy, breaking ranks. The debate comes amid reports of dwindling US military stockpiles, prompting the Pentagon and Pete Hegseth to request additional funding.
The US Senate once again blocked a Democratic initiative aimed at ending American troops' participation in combat operations against Iran. The resolution, based on the War Powers Act and proposed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, failed to gain sufficient support. Most Republicans voted against, giving President Donald Trump operational freedom. This was reported by Channel 7. The initiative attracted only a few Republican votes, with some breaking party lines. Among them was Senator Bill Cassidy, who initially opposed his party's position and demanded a closed intelligence briefing. After receiving the information, he changed his mind and admitted he used the initial vote as a "lever to obtain information." Cassidy also emphasized his principled stance on ground operations: "If it comes to deploying ground troops, then by definition, a declaration of war by Congress is required, period." The congressional debate unfolds amid alarming reports of shrinking US military stockpiles. This issue prompted the Pentagon and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to request additional funding from lawmakers. Senator Tom Tillis, who supported Trump's position against the Democrats, noted that the depletion of arsenals "obviously causes concern." Nevertheless, he expressed hope that closed consultations would help dispel lawmakers' concerns, adding: "And of course, if stockpiles are indeed at chronically low levels and this affects military strategy, then we must make solving this problem a priority."