The procedural measure failed 47 to 50, with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky the only Republicans breaking with their party as Congress again declined to assert its authority over a war that has entered its eighth week without formal approval. Significantly, it was the first time Collins had voted for such a measure. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania continued to be the lone Democrat voting against the resolution.
The Trump Administration formally notified Congress of its military campaign on March 2, triggering the clock that expires Friday. Absent congressional authorization or a withdrawal certification, many legal scholars and lawmakers argue that the U.S. will be violating federal law if it continues military action in Iran after Friday.
At the same time, the approaching deadline has begun to shift the conversation on Capitol Hill. Several Republicans who opposed the Democratic resolution, including Collins, had previously told TIME they nonetheless view the 60-day mark as legally significant and had been expecting the administration to engage Congress about next steps.
Still, those concerns have not translated into support for a War Powers Resolution brought by Democrats, which many Republicans dismiss as overly political or insufficiently tailored to military realities. Some have floated alternatives, including narrower authorizations or limits on ground troops, while others have suggested the administration could invoke the law’s 30-day withdrawal provision to buy more time.
“We are in a cease fire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a cease fire,” Hegseth said. “It's our understanding.”
Democrats, increasingly frustrated after repeated legislative defeats, are now exploring more aggressive options. TIME reported this week that some lawmakers are privately discussing whether to sue the President if military operations continue beyond the deadline without authorization, setting up a potential constitutional clash over the separation of powers.
Others caution that the courts may offer little relief. Federal judges have often declined to intervene in disputes over war powers, deeming them political questions or ruling that lawmakers lack standing to sue. Even so, some Democrats argue that allowing the deadline to pass without consequence would effectively render the statute meaningless.
Even as some in the party weigh legal action, Democratic leaders say they are focused on exhausting legislative avenues, including additional War Powers votes and potential efforts to restrict funding for the conflict. That role—enshrined in Article I of the Constitution—gives Congress the authority to declare war, a power the War Powers Resolution sought to reinforce after decades of expanding executive action.
Yet more than 50 years after its passage, the law has never successfully forced a president to end a military operation. Presidents of both parties have often sidestepped its requirements, while Congress has struggled to muster the unity or political will to compel compliance.
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