Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has once more gone against his party. On Wednesday, he said he plans to vote no on the Senate’s upcoming war powers resolution. The bill would limit President Donald Trump from ordering strikes on Iran unless Congress approves them.
Fetterman announced it on Fox News with Hannity. He said to Sean Hannity that Congress should let the military finish its mission.“We have to stand with our military to allow them to accomplish the goals of Epic Fury,” he said, referencing the name of the US. operations against Iran.
“We need to back our military so it can carry out the aims of ‘Epic Fury,’” he said, pointing to the US. campaign against Iran. “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,” he added.
His announcement followed soon after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there would be a new vote. Schumer said the Senate will vote next week to limit Trump’s war powers. He called it a constitutional obligation. Schumer said no president, Democrat or Republican, should send the country to war by themselves. No, never again.
A Pattern of Dissent
This isn’t even the first time Fetterman has pushed back on this issue. The Senate already turned down the Iran war-powers measure, passing it 53–47, with almost all votes following party lines. Still, Fetterman backed the Republicans. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican backing the measure, but Fetterman went against his own party and voted against it.
Fetterman has become a top Democrat pushing for military action against Iran. In March, he said bluntly, “Blow it up!” I believe we shouldn’t leave anything of their nuclear facilities standing, and his hardline approach has sparked strong backlash. Some former donors want their money back, and staff keep quitting at a steady rate.
Democrats Push Back Amid Fragile Ceasefire
In the meantime, Democratic leaders push ahead. Demand for a fresh war powers vote is growing as the fragile Iran ceasefire is under intense strain, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are escalating, and Iran is blocking ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, the US. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. But it’s still not clear if they can strike a deal that ends the war before the 21st. This weekend in Pakistan, Vice President JD Vance will head the Trump administration’s team for talks with Tehran.
Analysts say the fighting pause doesn’t mean peace. Daniel Byman, who leads the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the ceasefire isn’t really an answer, it’s just a break in a fight. The reasons behind the conflict are still there, and in some places they’ve even grown stronger.
Republican Majority Expected to Kill the Resolution
Unlike Democrats, Republicans have mostly supported Trump. Most Republicans back the war, saying it may stop Iran from moving forward with its nuclear program.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that stopping Iran from gaining nuclear weapons is vital to America’s national security interests. So the resolution has a tough chance. With the Senate majority, the GOP will probably vote down the measure.
House Democrats Prepare a Parallel Push
Meanwhile, the House is also taking action. On Wednesday, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party will try to get a war powers resolution passed by unanimous consent during a brief Thursday pro forma session at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Progressives and ranking committee leaders proposed two different resolutions on war powers.
California Rep. Ro Khanna urged a tougher, stronger version. At a press conference, Khanna said the Democratic Party must speak out clearly against the war and step back into its role as the party that opposes wars.
For now, Fetterman refuses to follow that plan, supports military action, and breaks with his own party during one of the most unstable stretches of US. foreign policy.
“Sources: The Hill, The National Desk, WHYY News, Common Dreams, The Intercept”
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