Senate panel rejects requirement for Iran war sign-off

WASHINGTON

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee rejected Wednesday a Democratic action seeking to require congressional sign-off on any prospective war with Iran.

The 13-9 vote saw all Republicans, except Senator Rand Paul, stand in opposition to the amendment that would have denied funding for any unsanctioned military action against Iran.

The amendment, which would have been tacked to a Syria bill, was spearheaded by Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Tom Udall.

Murphy publicly disclosed the vote after it took place during a committee business meeting.

“Some members of the Trump foreign policy team seem to be openly hoping to provoke Iran into war," Udall said in a statement ahead of the vote. "Fortunately, Congress is a co-equal branch that has the sole authority to declare war – so we don’t have to sit around and watch this administration spiral us into another endless conflict in the Middle East, built on the failed ashes of the Iraq playbook."

The vote came one day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan briefed House and Senate lawmakers in a closed-door session on intelligence the administration has concerning a purported increase in the threat level from Iran.

But top officials in the administration have so far been reticent to publicly lay out details of the alleged threat as Trump has deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region to deter any possible Iranian attack.