Playing ball, you go 0 for 4; it’s a bad day, but before your fifth at bat, you know you’ll be facing a new pitcher who brings new challenges. If you’re a great ballplayer, you make adjustments and try something different.
If you’re a Democratic senator, you prove the definition of insanity: repeatedly doing the same failed thing and expecting a different result.
Senate Democrats failed for the fifth time to pass a war powers resolution aimed at President Donald Trump’s actions against Iran. The vote fell 47 to 52.
The Senate rejected another attempt to rein in President Trump’s ability to use further military force against Iran on Wednesday, marking Democrats’ fifth effort to do so since the war began eight weeks ago.
In a 46 to 51 vote, a motion to discharge the measure from committee failed. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans against it, while GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted with Democrats in favor.
Led by Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, the resolution would have directed the president to “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.”
As we well know, Trump is doing what past leaders have talked about but never carried through. He struck Iranian targets after years of provocations, including threats to global shipping lanes, while damaging naval capabilities and missile infrastructure without dragging the country into a prolonged conflict.
The War Powers Resolution sets the ground rules for how a president can use military force without Congress. Lawmakers passed it after Vietnam to reclaim authority over war decisions while still allowing quick action in emergencies. A president can deploy forces when needed but must notify Congress within 48 hours. The clock starts after that.
That clock runs for 60 days, then Congress can approve the mission, declare war, or do nothing. If approval doesn’t come within that window, the law requires the president to begin withdrawing forces, with a short extension allowed for a safe exit.
That 60-day limit sits at the center of every modern dispute over military authority, including the repeated votes now aimed at Trump’s Iran policy.
Against that backdrop, Democrats spent decades warning about Iran’s ambitions, and thanks to Australia’s Sky News, we can listen to Felonius Von Pansuit declare her intentions.
Politicians of all stripes talk tough, from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) promising to pull Democrats in front of Senate hearings yet somehow forgetting to act, to Sen. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) simply sounding ridiculous — we witness puppies barking at fire hydrants.
Democrats have criticized hesitation for years and warned about growing threats. Under President Barack Hussein Obama (D-Ego), policy shifted in the opposite direction; he lifted sanctions while billions in cash flowed into Iran as part of a nuclear agreement that promised restraint but delivered leverage to the regime.
On Monday, Fox’s Maria Bartiromo smacked some truth on Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). When she finished, Khanna showed a Democrat-in-the-headlights look and responded with an all-time great brain-dead answer.
Trump, thankfully, reversed that approach and restored pressure where it had faded.
Like raw hamburgers on a grill, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argues Republicans have given Trump unchecked authority.
The vote came a day after Mr. Trump said he was extending a two-week ceasefire with Iran as the deadline approached, changing course after threatening to resume attacks if the regime didn’t accept his terms for a deal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote Wednesday that while he’s “relieved that the ceasefire deadline has been extended,” Congress must “seize this opportunity to stop this blunder before the fighting resumes.”
Schumer said Democrats will continue to force war powers votes “every week until Republicans see reason and help us end this war.” He claimed “they would be doing Donald Trump a favor.”
“Every day this disastrous war continues, Donald Trump digs himself deeper and deeper and deeper into a hole,” he said.
As always, Schumer’s concern is disingenuous and selective. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) broke with his party and voted against the resolution. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) crossed the line as the lone Republican supporting it.
The split tells a clearer story than any press conference; not every Democrat bought into the argument, and not every Republican dismissed it outright. Even so, the outcome stayed the same.
Democrats continue returning to the War Powers Act as if repetition changes the math. Five attempts produced the same result, which weakens their argument more than strengthens it. If the goal involves limiting executive authority, consistency would help, yet concern appears when the White House changes hands.
Trump’s approach remains direct, pushing for fair trade, demanding reciprocity, and responding to threats without dragging the country into endless conflict.
Related: Trump Extends Iran Ceasefire and Forces Tehran to Make the Next Move
Iran understands pressure, the region understands strength, and voters understand results — a contrast that explains why repeated votes keep falling short.
The latest defeat shows more than a failed resolution; it shows a party struggling to match its past rhetoric with present reality. Years of warnings about Iran don’t align with efforts to restrict action now. That gap doesn’t go unnoticed outside Washington.
The Senate didn’t just reject a measure; it rejected an argument that hasn’t held up under repetition. Five votes settled that question.
Trump keeps moving forward, while Democrats keep returning to the same play that hasn’t worked a single time.
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