Democrats press Hegseth on Trump’s war without authorisation as GOP again blocks Iran resolution
Senate Republicans have blocked a Democratic war powers resolution intended to curb President Donald Trump’s military campaign in Iran for the sixth time this year, with the latest defeat coming on Thursday by a margin of 47-50. The resolution, authored by Senator Adam Schiff, would have required Congress to authorise any further military action beyond the 60-day limit set by the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Two Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – crossed party lines to support the measure, while Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose it. Schiff described Thursday’s vote as critical, noting that Friday marks the exact day the 60-day window expires since the Trump administration formally notified Congress of the strikes on Iran.
War Powers and the 60-Day Clock
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must terminate a military campaign after 60 days unless Congress has declared war or authorised the use of military force. The clock began ticking on 2 March, when the administration sent its notification to Capitol Hill. A 30-day extension is permitted solely for the purpose of troop withdrawal, not for continuing offensive operations. However, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators that the ceasefire agreed with Iran on 8 April effectively pauses the 60-day deadline – an interpretation that Democrats and legal experts have sharply contested. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he did not believe the statute supported such a pause. Hegseth, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee alongside General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, characterised critics of the war as “reckless naysayers” and “defeatist”, and insisted the conflict was an “astounding military success” and an “existential fight for the safety of the American people”.
The hearing, convened to discuss the Pentagon’s record $1.45tn budget submission, quickly became consumed by the Iran war. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the committee, accused Hegseth of failing to give Trump an accurate picture of the conflict and resorting to “dangerously exaggerated” statements. Reed pointed to higher fuel prices as evidence that American families were bearing the cost of a war they did not support. The acting comptroller, Jules Hurst, told the committee that the war had cost approximately $25bn so far, mostly in munitions – a figure that Senator Chris Coons of Delaware said he believed to be low. General Caine acknowledged that Russia had been aiding Iran’s war effort, but declined to elaborate in the open session.
The conflict has been in a stalemate for eight weeks, with a fragile ceasefire in place since 8 April to allow talks in Islamabad. No broader agreement has been reached, and Iran has largely blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since late February, imposing tolls and threatening “swift action” against any US advance. The US Navy began blockading Iranian ports on 13 April after the collapse of the Islamabad talks. Trump has said he is prepared to maintain that blockade until Tehran agrees to restrict its nuclear programme. Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to keep control of the strait, declaring that “foreigners who come from thousands of kilometres away have no place there except at the bottom of its waters”.
The hearing also saw heated exchanges over Hegseth’s rhetoric. Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada questioned his comparison of Democratic senators and the US press corps to the Pharisees – a term she described as “problematic and historically weaponised” against Jewish communities. Hegseth replied that it was “a pretty accurate term for those who don’t see the plank in their own eye”, and said he stood by it. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona pressed Hegseth on his earlier vow to show “no mercy, no quarter” to US enemies, noting that the Defence Department’s own law-of-war manual defines “no quarter” as a war crime under the Hague Convention of 1899. Hegseth answered: “We have untied the hands of our warfighters. We fight to win and we follow the law.” Kelly said the refusal to clarify the statement made clear why Hegseth was not right for the job. Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii raised Hegseth’s past comments that women should not serve in combat units. Hegseth responded that the Pentagon was “laser-focused on standards – the highest male standard for every combat arms position should be the standard”. An anti-war protester shouted at Hegseth as he left the hearing room.
Maine Senate Race
The war powers vote drew particular attention because of Senator Susan Collins’s support for the resolution. Collins had previously said that the 60-day mark was a significant turning point requiring congressional authorisation, and that she would not support extending hostilities beyond that period except for winding down activities. Her vote comes amid a major shake-up in Maine’s Senate race after Governor Janet Mills, a two-term Democrat and former state attorney general, suspended her campaign to challenge Collins. Mills’s decision clears the way for David Platner, a progressive political newcomer who has built his campaign around fixing a “broken” political system that he says caters to the wealthy and fosters corruption. At a campaign event in Augusta, Platner said Mills’s withdrawal demonstrated her “commitment” to defeating Collins, and added: “I look forward to working closely with her between now and November to turn this seat blue again.” Mills had been seen as one of the Democratic Party’s top recruits for 2026 and had the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and prominent left-leaning advocacy groups as the party tries to pick up at least four seats. She has not yet confirmed whether she will endorse Platner.
Surgeon General Nomination Withdrawn
President Trump on Thursday withdrew the nomination of Casey Means for US surgeon general, a post that had stalled amid Republican concerns over her stance on vaccines and her medical credentials. Means is a leading figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump announced that he would instead nominate Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor, for the position, making her his third nominee for the role. In a social media post, Trump criticised Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a medical doctor and Republican, for opposing Means’s nomination.
Other Developments
Trump also used the occasion of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to the White House to announce the removal of tariffs and restrictions on whiskey relating to Scotland’s trade with Kentucky. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote that the king and queen “got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking”. The move addresses long-standing trade friction that had cost the Scotch whisky industry significantly and led to job losses. Trump also fielded questions about Iran in the Oval Office after signing an executive order aimed at expanding retirement plan access for workers whose employers do not provide one – an initiative that will be combined with the Saver’s Match programme and a new website, TrumpIRA.gov. When asked about the Iranian football team’s participation in the World Cup, Trump said he would support Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s decision to let them play, describing Infantino as “a piece of work” but adding: “Let them play.”
Separately, a 75-day partial government shutdown ended after the House passed a funding bill for most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a late-night voice vote. The measure does not cover Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol; Republicans plan to fund those agencies through a separate reconciliation process that could allocate up to $75bn. Trump has set a 1 June deadline for a final funding package. The White House has warned that without action, it will be unable to pay most DHS employees from May. More than 1,100 Transportation Security Administration agents have resigned since February.
