Senate Rejects Democrats' Fifth War Powers Challenge 51-46; Trump's 33% Approval Rating Cited

The US Senate rejected Democrats' fifth attempt to invoke the War Powers Resolution and limit Trump's military authority in Iran, with the vote failing 46-51. The vote extended a pattern: each Democratic challenge has failed along near-party-line votes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer cited Trump's 33% approval rating on the war as evidence the public does not support the open-ended campaign. Republicans uniformly backed the administration. The vote came amid the ongoing ceasefire but with no active military strikes in Iran itself — the blockade remained in force. Trump aides dismissed the challenge as 'political theater,' noting Congress appropriated funds for operations and the president retains commander-in-chief authority. Constitutional law scholars remain divided on the legal question of whether the War Powers Resolution applies to the Iran blockade absent active combat. The consecutive failures reflect both the difficulty of overcoming presidential authority on national security and the political calculation by moderate Republicans not to break with Trump while the ceasefire holds.