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Lawmakers in the United States Senate began voting Wednesday on a bipartisan resolution designed to curb President **Donald Trump>’s authority to continue military operations against Iran without explicit approval from Congress, as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

The proposal, led by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, seeks to require congressional authorization for further hostilities. Supporters say the measure is rooted in the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress — not the executive branch — the power to declare war.

Kaine described the vote as a moment of accountability for lawmakers in both parties.

“I do think it's really important to put every member of Congress on the record about this,” Kaine said before the vote. “If you don't have the guts to vote 'Yes' or 'No' on a war vote, how dare you send our sons and daughters into war where they risk their lives?”

Renewed Fight Over War Authority

The resolution comes amid a rapidly evolving military campaign involving U.S. and Israeli operations against Iranian targets. The conflict, now several days old, has expanded in scope, with reported damage in Iran, Israel and elsewhere in the region. U.S. casualties have also been reported, heightening political pressure in Washington.

Backers of the resolution argue that Congress has gradually ceded too much authority over military engagements to successive presidents. They say the current situation underscores the need to formally reassert legislative oversight before the conflict deepens further.

While previous efforts to restrain presidential war powers have failed, this latest measure has drawn limited Republican support in addition to near-unanimous backing from Senate Democrats. However, Republicans maintain narrow majorities in both chambers, making passage uncertain.