Republicans decry Democrats’ ‘exhausting’ war powers push

Senate Republicans are still backing President Donald Trump on the war against Iran, dismissing Democrats’ latest war powers push as political theater that has nothing to do with national security.

The support gives the White House more time to search for an end to the six-week-old conflict, but also risks tying the entire GOP to the unpopular war. But Republican lawmakers say the repeated Democratic objections to military intervention in Iran ignore the success of the operations so far.

“It’s just exhausting,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) told reporters Tuesday. “Doing a war powers resolution just undermines the president. I don't believe [the Democrats] would do that if the president had a ‘D’ behind his name.”

Despite a range of ominous economic data tied to the war in Iran — from elevated oil prices to rising inflation — Republicans are holding firm with Trump, showing the president maintains significant sway over his party. In the Senate, Republicans have rejected three attempts to rein in the administration since the war began, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as the lone GOP dissenter each time.

They’re poised to do so again when the Senate holds a fourth vote on Iran as early as Wednesday.

Most Senate Republicans said they see no need to restrict Trump’s ability to launch military strikes in the name of protecting America. They believe the war powers effort is only designed to snarl Senate business and score political points.

“The goal is to suck up floor time,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). “I'm old enough to remember when [Democrats] didn't think going into Venezuela was a good idea. And yet, you don't hear them talk about that anymore because it was a brilliant operation.”

"War powers is a delay tactic and a messaging bill," added Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). "We all know it. We see it for what it is."

The Trump administration failed to strike an agreement with Tehran to end the conflict this past weekend, though there are early indications that the two sides are zeroing in on limits to the Iranian nuclear program — something Trump has been clear about amid shifting rationales for the war.

Trump’s two-week ceasefire with Iran is set to expire on April 21. Pentagon officials have said forces in the region are prepared to resume strikes against Iran and its proxies at any time, if called upon by the president.

The administration is also approaching a deadline on April 28 which mandates congressional authorization for continued military operations. According to federal law, U.S. forces must be withdrawn from the region after 60 days unless Congress authorizes their presence, although the White House can invoke a 30-day extension for national security reasons.

But several Republicans have indicated the deadline could be a turning point for them despite their intent to oppose a fourth war powers resolution this week.

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) has argued Congress will need to approve the continued Middle East campaign at the two-month mark, while Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said the administration "has got to start answering questions” as that point nears.

"People are gonna be looking for signs of progress," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said this week.

Another inflection point will be when the Trump administration formally requests tens of billions in emergency funding for the war, including cash to finance a blistering pace of military operations and replenish high-end missiles and air defense munitions expended in the war.

Though they have refused to rebuke Trump over the war, congressional Republicans have signaled they’ll need more details from the administration about the course of the war before approving a supplemental request, a price tag that could reach upwards of $200 billion.

Lankford called the 60-day threshold "significant," saying that mark will require "some real debate." But he indicated lawmakers' most important test will occur when the administration's supplemental request hits Capitol Hill.

"That'll be a significant moment. The administration says, 'Can we pay for restocking and for any future activities?' That's when we have our biggest debate," Lankford told reporters. "So there is a moment coming. We all know there's a moment coming."

That pressure is likely to manifest in at least one public hearing in the coming weeks on the war. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said his committee will likely hold a May hearing on the war, outside of its normal oversight of the annual defense budget.

Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.