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US Senate
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US Senate

Upper chamber of US Congress; 100 senators; war powers, CBDC ban, and 2026 midterms.

The Senate voted 50-48 on 23 June to pass a war-powers resolution ordering a halt to the Iran campaign, the first time either chamber's Iran resolution cleared the floor, after nine earlier defeats and four Republicans crossing to join Democrats.

Last refreshed: 3 August 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics

Key Question

Will the 85-5 Senate CBDC ban pass the House and reach the President's desk?

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Background

The US Senate is the upper chamber of Congress, comprising 100 senators, two from each state, serving staggered six-year terms so that roughly a third of seats are contested every two years. Article I of the Constitution, ratified in 1789, gives it exclusive authority to ratify treaties by a two-thirds majority, confirm presidential appointments including federal judges and Cabinet officers, and try impeachments referred by the House. The Vice President serves as its presiding officer and casts tie-breaking votes.

Its defining structural feature is the filibuster: ordinary legislation needs 60 votes to close debate, a threshold well above any recent majority, which hands the minority party durable blocking power regardless of the chamber's formal partisan split. That single rule shapes almost everything the Senate can and cannot pass, from war-powers resolutions to voting-law changes to appointments, and explains why close votes recur across unrelated fights rather than settling any one of them.

Key Issues
War powers votes

It finally passed a war-powers rebuke

The Senate voted 50-48 on 23 June to pass a war-powers resolution ordering a halt to the Iran campaign, the first time either chamber's resolution cleared the floor after nine earlier defeats stretching back to 26 March. Four Republicans crossed to join Democrats, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Rand Paul, while Pennsylvania's John Fetterman voted against for the fifth time.

The resolution carries no legal force: it does not reach Trump's desk for signature, and the White House dismissed it as ineffectual. Its significance lies in the arithmetic it exposes, four sitting Republicans are now on record that the executive cannot assume indefinite deference on Iran, a signal that outlasts any single vote count.

CBDC ban

It voted to bar a digital dollar

The Senate voted 85-5 on 22 June to bar a domestic central bank digital currency for four years, a rare near-unanimous margin reflecting shared concern that a Federal Reserve-issued retail account would undercut commercial banks and expose citizens' financial privacy.

The vote landed one day before the European Parliament's economics committee approved the Digital Euro framework 43-14, pointing the two blocs in opposite directions on public digital payments. The Senate's ban still needs House passage and Trump's signature to take effect, so for now it registers only the chamber's own preference, not settled law.

Common Questions

Reference

What is the War Powers Resolution and how does it work?
The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing forces to hostilities and limits deployments to 60 days without congressional authorisation. A simple majority of both chambers can pass a concurrent resolution directing withdrawal, but the President does not sign it, making it difficult to enforce.Source: editorial
What is the US Senate?
The US Senate is the upper chamber of Congress with 100 members (two per state) serving six-year terms. It has exclusive powers over ratifying treaties, confirming presidential nominations, and trying impeachments.
Which Republicans voted against Trump on Iran in the Senate?
Four Republicans broke ranks on 23 June 2026: Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), and Rand Paul (Kentucky). Democrat John Fetterman voted against the resolution.Source: PBS News, ABC News
Did the US Congress ever pass a war powers resolution on Iran in 2026?
Yes. On 23 June 2026, the Senate voted 50-48 to pass a war-powers resolution calling on Trump to halt the Iran campaign or seek congressional authorisation, after the House had passed matching text 215-208 on 3 June. It was the first time both chambers passed such a resolution. The measure is not legally binding and was not sent to the President for signature.Source: NPR, Al Jazeera, CNN
What happened in the 19 May 2026 Senate discharge vote on Iran?
A Senate Foreign Relations Committee discharge motion cleared 50-47 on 19 May 2026, placing the Kaine war-powers resolution on the floor calendar. Four Republicans crossed party lines including Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Bill Cassidy. It was the first successful procedural advance after seven defeats and sends the resolution to a floor vote before the 1 June WPR wind-down Deadline.Source: event
How many judges has Trump had confirmed by the Senate in 2026?
The Senate confirmed John Thomas Shepherd to the Western District of Arkansas on 14 April 2026 and Justin D. Smith to the 8th Circuit by unanimous consent on 20 April 2026, continuing a steady pace of Article III confirmations across the first months of the Trump administration.Source: US Senate
How many times did the Senate vote on Iran war powers in 2026?
The Senate voted at least nine times across March to June 2026. Eight votes failed before the 23 June 50-48 passage alongside a House measure. The floor votes ranged from 47-53 to 50-48.Source: editorial
What power does the Senate have to stop a war?
The Senate can pass a War Powers Resolution requiring the president to withdraw forces within 60 days, or refuse to authorise continued combat. It requires a simple majority and can be vetoed. The Senate has not formally declared war since 1942; the 19 May 2026 discharge motion is the first time a WPR on Iran has cleared committee in eight attempts.
Which Senate seats are most at risk in the 2026 midterms?
Cook Political Report shifted four ratings toward Democrats on 13 April 2026, moving Georgia and North Carolina from Likely Republican to Lean Republican. The overall Senate map is under pressure from the Iran conflict's political dynamics and sustained Republican defections on war-powers votes.
What is the SAVE Act and what happened to it in the Senate?
The SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requires documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote. A motion to attach it to the reconciliation package failed 48-50 on 27 April, closing the fast-track legislative route.
Source Material
US Senate Official WebsiteUS Senate official websiteUnited States Senate