Fetterman joins Republicans to block Senate resolution ending Iran war

Senate Republicans on Thursday once again blocked a resolution directing President Trump to end the war in Iran.

Only three Republicans—Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky—crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats to advance the measure. Mitch McConnell did not show. And Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans against the measure.

The final vote was 49–50 to defeat a resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that would have instructed the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iran and blocked him from military action in the country without congressional approval. The resolution required only a simple majority to pass, but Fetterman's vote sank it.

Fetterman's Record

Although Fetterman ran his 2022 Senate campaign with a progressive platform, his record since taking office has been markedly different. He is one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel in Congress, supports the campaigns against Iran and Lebanon, voted with Republicans to confirm Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and has become increasingly aligned with President Trump on a range of issues.

Repeated Attempts

The House of Representatives has now passed two separate war powers resolutions. For a moment, it appeared the Senate might join them, but the upper chamber—and one senator in particular—continues to hold out. This was the thirteenth vote on a resolution to end the Iran war this year.

Escalating Conflict

These resolutions are growing in importance as the war spreads, with the U.S. resuming airstrikes and Iran launching missiles at targets across the Middle East. On Wednesday night, U.S. Central Command struck dozens of Iranian targets for the first time in days, following Iran's attacks on American military sites earlier this week.

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Federal Appeals Courts Strike Down ICE Mass Detention Policy

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's mass immigration detention policy was struck down twice in a single day on Thursday, in a significant legal defeat for President Donald Trump.

Two separate federal appeals courts rejected the Trump administration's bid to detain immigrants—many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years without a criminal record—without a hearing. The rulings mark the administration's fifth and sixth consecutive losses on the case.

Seventh Circuit Ruling

In a 2–1 ruling by the Wisconsin-based Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the majority found that the government could not refuse bond hearings to undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S. The government had been improperly applying a rule meant for immigrants "seeking admission" at the U.S. border.

Ninth Circuit Ruling

Earlier Thursday, a 2–1 ruling by the California-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals similarly found that the government had misconstrued decades-old immigration laws to justify its actions. The majority opinion was written by Trump appointee Judge Daniel Bress.

Broader Legal Context

These rulings follow the same logic as decisions from the Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit, the New York–based Second Circuit, the Colorado-based Tenth Circuit, and the Ohio-based Sixth Circuit. Only two federal appeals courts have sided with the Trump administration's mass detention policy as the case moves toward the Supreme Court.

Mass detention is not merely a step toward achieving Trump's goal of mass deportation—it is also the goal itself.

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