The House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to halt the war in Iran and insist that President Trump win congressional approval to continue military operations there.
The vote was the latest in a series of 10 similar measures across the House and Senate since the war began in late February, all of which aimed — and failed — to insist on a role for Congress in authorizing the conflict. Though the votes have mostly unfolded along party lines, there have been notable defections on both sides, including among a growing group of Republicans who have expressed uneasiness as the conflict wears on.
Most Republicans have banded together against these efforts, but what began as near unanimous support in both chambers has slipped slightly in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for the first time joined Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky and most Democrats to advance the seventh attempt in the chamber to stop the war. The effort failed on a vote of 50 to 49, with Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania again joining Republicans in opposition, casting the deciding vote to block the resolution. Two weeks earlier, Ms. Collins, who is in a difficult re-election race and had opposed similar war powers measures, flipped her position to support one.
In the House, only Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has consistently backed war powers resolutions. But on Thursday, he was joined for the first time by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tom Barrett of Michigan. Both Republicans are in challenging re-election races.
Representative Jared Golden of Maine was the lone Democrat to oppose the measure, casting the deciding vote as members of his party pleaded in a chant for “one more” in their ranks to support it just before the speaker gaveled down the vote.
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