By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Tuesday narrowly blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to end the Iran war until it is authorized by Congress, the ninth by Democrats since Israel and the United States began their air attacks on Iran in February.
The Senate voted by 48-47 to block the resolution under the war powers law, which followed a framework agreement announced this week by the White House and Tehran for a further ceasefire and talks to end the conflict.
The vote was largely along party lines, as Republicans Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted with most Democrats in favor, and Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted no along with most Republicans.
Five senators – Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri, Democrats Michael Bennet of Colorado and Cory Booker of New Jersey and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont – did not vote.
The vote came as lawmakers waited for President Donald Trump’s administration to provide them with details about a memorandum of understanding announced by Trump on Sunday to end the war.
Democrats and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans have called on the administration to provide them specifics about the plan, with Democrats especially saying they feel they have been left in the dark.
Trump’s Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The House also recently backed a resolution that would end the Iran war.
The resolution blocked in the Senate procedural vote on Tuesday was sponsored by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
In a sign of lawmakers’ frustration with the continuing conflict, the Senate on May 19 voted to advance the eighth war powers resolution introduced by Democrats, as the same four Republicans voted with every Democrat except Fetterman in favor of moving ahead.
That measure, led by Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, faces another procedural vote before coming up for a vote on passage in the Senate. Congressional aides said its sponsors were still working on gathering support, while waiting for more information about peace negotiations.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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