The US Senate has rejected a renewed attempt to limit President Donald Trump's war powers over Iran, in a reversal that handed the administration a political victory. According to the reports, Senate Republicans flipped on the war powers resolution, and an explosive meeting in the chamber turned into a win for Trump as key Republicans abandoned another bid to handcuff the administration's authorities in Iran.
The vote marked a notable shift from just days earlier. According to the reports, two Republicans who had previously voted to restrict Trump's war powers changed their position, and the Senate rejected the Democrats' attempt to rein in the president's authority on Iran. The move came as the chamber's final act before lawmakers left Washington for a break of more than two weeks.
One of the senators at the center of the dispute was Louisiana's Bill Cassidy. According to the reports, Cassidy was reportedly involved in a shouting match with Trump, who allegedly called him a 'lunatic,' and the senator, who recently lost his reelection bid, admitted that he had lost his temper, saying he was not going to be bullied and that he was trying to get answers for the American people.
Cassidy later explained why he switched his vote. According to the reports, he changed his position on the war powers resolution after receiving a special briefing about the Iran war in the situation room, and he said the briefing had addressed his concerns. Rand Paul was the other Republican senator who changed his vote on the measure.
The clash unfolded against the backdrop of other tensions in Washington. According to the reports, the meeting was held after Trump abruptly canceled plans to sign a bipartisan affordable housing bill, a decision that added to the friction between the president and members of his own party on Capitol Hill in the same period.
The vote came as diplomacy over the conflict continued. According to the reports, talks are ongoing between Iran and the United States to hammer out a long-term peace deal, and the Senate's rejection of the resolution leaves the administration with a freer hand on Iran policy for now, even as questions remain over the path ahead.