Senate war powers vote puts Iowa GOP in spotlight as Iran conflict drives gas prices higher

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is set to vote Thursday on a war powers resolution aimed at halting President Donald Trump's military action in Iran, a conflict now blamed for soaring fuel prices that are shaking up the midterm election landscape, including in Iowa.

The vote comes just days after Trump's fiery address to the United Nations, where he threatened to annihilate Iran. For lawmakers, this is likely the last opportunity to take a public stand on the war before November's elections. A growing number of Republicans are breaking with the president as the conflict drags past the seven-month mark, a rare rebuke as they fight to keep control of Congress.

Why are Republicans turning against the Iran war?

Republicans who control Congress have largely avoided direct confrontation with Trump over the war, which began on Feb. 28. But persistent high gas prices are forcing the issue. Diesel costs have nearly doubled, topping $6 a gallon, according to AAA, and rural voters are feeling the pinch.

A new survey from The Associated Press in partnership with KFF found that about half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse now than when Trump returned to office. Groceries, gas, and healthcare rank as the top pain points for these voters.

“They have been carrying water for this ridiculous and illegal war for months and months and months and not listening to their constituents,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who pushed the war powers resolution forward. “And now they finally are.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who now says he is leaning toward voting for the resolution, put it simply: “We've got to break the cycle.”

Iowa's battleground role in the war debate

Iowa is squarely in the middle of this political storm. Earlier this month, the House approved a war powers resolution for the third time, with seven Republicans joining Democrats. Two of those Republicans were from Iowa: Rep. Zach Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks, both representing battleground districts where affordability among rural voters is dominating campaigns.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, just back from stumping for GOP candidates in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, called on Trump to deliver a prime-time address explaining the Iran war strategy and its end game.

“People are confused about the war and upset about the cost of living,” Kennedy said.

Still, Kennedy and others are not yet ready to vote against the war. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., opposes the war powers resolution, arguing the president is acting within his authority. “My own view is that the focus right now needs to be on attacking the cost of living issues,” he said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries mocked the Republicans now distancing themselves from what he called Trump's failed economy. “Now all of a sudden they're waking up,” he said.

What is a war powers resolution and what does it do?

War powers resolutions are largely political statements. They do not carry the full force of law and do not go to the president's desk for signature. But they are among the sharpest tools Congress has to express disapproval of the White House, short of cutting off funding for military action.

This will be the 14th time the Senate has considered such a resolution since the conflict began. In June, the Senate approved one after four GOP senators joined Democrats, but Republicans reversed course the next day after Trump berated them during a private lunch. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who defended his vote and got into a shouting match with Trump, later switched sides after a personal briefing from the White House.

Other options to halt the Iran war

The war has already cost $43.5 billion, and Congress is exploring other ways to force a rethink of military strategy. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pushed forward articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, but GOP leadership abruptly adjourned the House, sending lawmakers home to campaign and avoiding a potential vote.

Lawmakers also hold the power of the purse. Republicans have been reluctant to use it to curtail military spending, but Democrats are sure to pursue that route if they win the midterms. The White House's request for an additional $87.6 billion in war funding has stalled in Congress.

The war powers act, created after the Vietnam War, has long tested the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. While the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, the president as commander-in-chief can also engage the military. The act requires the president to seek approval from Congress within 60 days of any such action, or risk disapproval.

What happens next for Iowa voters?

For Iowans, the vote is more than a Washington procedural matter. With gas prices and the cost of living dominating kitchen-table conversations, the positions of Nunn, Miller Meeks, and other Iowa lawmakers on the war will be closely watched by voters heading to the polls.

The Senate vote Thursday offers a clear record of where each lawmaker stands on the conflict and its economic fallout. For rural Iowans feeling the squeeze, that record may well decide their vote in November.