Senate fails to override Trump veto of Iran war powers resolution
The Senate failed Thursday to override President Trump's veto of a war powers resolution limiting his authority to use military force in Iran. The vote was 49 to 45.
Mr. Trump vetoed the bill Wednesday night, calling it a "very insulting resolution" that Democrats had introduced "as part of a strategy to win an election on November 3 by dividing the Republican Party."
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, passed on a bipartisan basis in the Senate in February, and later passed in the House in March.
However, the Senate needed a two-thirds majority to override the president's veto. When it voted on the resolution in February, it passed 55 to 45, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats to approve it.
The resolution came after the U.S. killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, leading to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. It demanded the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran within 30 days unless their engagement was approved by Congress.
Democrats and Republicans expressed concerns after Mr. Trump ordered the strike on Soleimani without congressional approval, leading Iran to retaliate by targeting American bases in Iraq, where dozens of American soldiers were injured. Iran also mistakenly hit a Ukrainian passenger plane, leading to the deaths of nearly 200 people.
