US Senate
Upper chamber of US Congress; 100 senators shaping war, courts, and elections.
Last refreshed: 28 April 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
Will the Senate ever reclaim the power to halt a presidential war?
Timeline for US Senate
Mentioned in: WARN Act untested: four AI cuts, zero enforcement actions
AI: Jobs, Power & MoneyRejected seventh Iran war-powers resolution 49-50
Iran Conflict 2026: Senate rejects Iran war-powers vote 49-50; Murkowski crosses first timeMurkowski's Iran AUMF still unfiled as Senate returns
Iran Conflict 2026Returned from recess on 11 May with AUMF still unfiled
Iran Conflict 2026: Murkowski holds AUMF for a paper plan- 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.Source: US Constitution, Article I
- How many times has the Senate voted on the Iran War Powers Resolution?
- Five times between March and April 2026. The votes went 47-53, 47-52, 47-52, 47-52, and finally 51-46 on 22 April, the tightest margin yet. John Fetterman crossed party lines to vote against every resolution; Rand Paul was the lone Republican voting in favour.Source: US Senate roll call
- 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. The Senate resumed floor debate on 14 April 2026, but a motion to attach it to the reconciliation package failed 48-50 on 27 April, closing the fast-track legislative route.Source: US Senate
- 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 favours Republicans defending fewer seats, but the ratings shift reflects a deteriorating environment for the majority.Source: Cook Political Report
- 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, but it requires a majority vote and can be vetoed. The Senate has not formally declared war since 1942. Five failed WPR votes on Iran in 2026 illustrate how rarely Congress invokes this power against its own party's president.Source: War Powers Resolution (1973)
- 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
Background
The US Senate is the upper chamber of US Congress, comprising 100 senators (two per state) serving six-year terms. Established under Article I of the Constitution in 1789, it holds exclusive authority over ratifying treaties, confirming presidential appointments, and trying impeachments. Its supermajority thresholds and filibuster rules give the minority party significant blocking power.
In the Iran conflict, the Senate's constitutional role over war authorisation became a persistent flashpoint. On 26 March 2026, senators voted 47-53 to reject the Kaine-Paul War Powers Resolution, which sought to force Donald Trump to end military operations against Iran without congressional approval. John Fetterman broke with Democrats to vote against; Rand Paul was the sole Republican in favour. The vote was repeated on 15 April (47-52) and again on 22 April (51-46), the tightest margin yet, with Fetterman again crossing party lines. Five successive failed WPR votes, and an AUMF push by Senator Murkowski targeting 28 April, illustrate how seldom Congress enforces legislative war powers against a president of its own choosing.
The Senate is a central battleground for the 2026 midterms. Cook Political Report shifted four Senate race ratings toward Democrats on 13 April 2026, moving Georgia and North Carolina from Likely Republican to Lean Republican. On the legislative front, SAVE Act floor debate resumed on 14 April after the Easter recess (vote to proceed: 51-48), but a motion by Senator John Kennedy to attach SAVE Act provisions to the reconciliation package was defeated 48-50 on 27 April, closing the fast-track route. The chamber also confirmed two Article III judges: John Thomas Shepherd to the Western District of Arkansas on 14 April and Justin D. Smith to the 8th Circuit by unanimous consent on 20 April, bringing Trump's confirmed judiciary count higher.
In the Cuba diplomatic track, Senate Democrats Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, and Ruben Gallego introduced a War Powers Resolution on 25 April 2026 calling for US forces to be withdrawn from any unauthorised operations near Cuba within 30 days. The resolution mirrors the Iran WPR template and is expected to face the same arithmetic: a comfortable executive-aligned majority.
