March 05, 2026 11:05 AM UTC

Senate Rejects War Powers Resolution; Hickenlooper, Democrats Flip "America First" Message

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• by: Colorado Pols

Senate Democrats on Wednesday voiced concerns about an unpopular war with Iran as part of an effort to refocus attention on affordability and economic costs in the United States.

As for the legislation at hand, as The New York Times reports, Republican Senators refused to stand in the way of President Trump’s ability to continue waging war against Iran:

The 53-to-47 vote against taking up the measure was almost completely along party lines, reflecting a deep partisan divide on the Iran war as the Senate delivered the first clear test of congressional resolve since the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Operation Epic Fury, began across Iran four days ago.

Senators Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, and Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, tried to force action on the measure. They invoked a provision of the 1973 War Powers Act, which requires that resolutions to terminate offensive hostilities be considered under expedited procedures.

Mr. Paul was the only Republican leading the effort, and no other G.O.P. senators joined him in support of the measure…

…The measure’s failure came as the administration offered varying and at times conflicting explanations for the war, raising questions about its legality and posing a dilemma for some lawmakers as they were called upon to register a position on a conflict that has already cost American lives. It also comes only months before the midterm elections and as polls show the conflict is deeply unpopular.

“Americans want President Trump to lower prices, not drag us into unnecessary forever wars,” Mr. Kaine said ahead of the vote. “Yet he has unilaterally launched strikes at Iran without congressional authorization.” [Pols emphasis]

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Denver) delivered a blistering speech on the Senate floor wondering about what happened to Trump’s “America First” narrative:

Hickenlooper began his remarks with a reminder of something President Trump said himself in his inaugural address in January 2025 in criticizing his predecessor, President Joe Biden:

This aged poorly, as Hickenlooper continued:

Fast forward one year, and now it’s this administration dragging the United States into an illegal war with Iran – one that has already taken American lives, spread chaos and destruction to an entire region.

Iran’s authoritarian regime is brutal, corrupt, oppressive. But the president’s approach leaves us facing profound, unanswered questions about new dangers that may be unleashed.

I don’t think there can be a clearer question raised about this administration than the president’s own words: As he said a year ago, we have a government that can’t manage a simple crisis at home. And at the same time, we have one that is ACTIVELY seeking catastrophic conflicts abroad.

Every strike, every military escalation, every headline is a distraction.

And while this White House wages war abroad, working Americans are barely treading water at home.

New polling from battleground congressional districts, via Navigator Research, underscores this point. Fully 3-in-4 battleground constituents say their costs have gone up over the last year, including 53% who say costs have risen “a lot.” This includes 98% of Democrats, 71% of independents, and even 52% of Republicans.

HICKENLOOPER: Over the last year, the president’s disastrous and illegal tariffs have crushed small businesses in Colorado and across the country. They’ve raised costs for all Americans. Tariffs clearly are a tax on Americans.

Just this week, gas prices reached an 8-month high in response to the war in Iran. Americans are already paying for this war at the gas pump.

Rent and home prices continue to rise, pushing the average American’s first home purchase to age 40 – an all-time record.

Tens of millions of Americans are paying DOUBLE for their health care because the president and MAGA Republicans passed legislation that will lead 15 million people to lose their coverage all together.

In 85 of the country’s largest metro areas, child care for two kids costs more than rent.

On top of all that – U.S. job growth is at its weakest since Covid, and wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.

According to Moody’s, the top 10% of U.S. households now account for nearly half of all spending…

…Here’s the thing. Americans know that something is wrong. Every paycheck feels a little small. Every trip to the grocery store or the doctor, every bill for rent, energy, or childcare – it’s never quite enough.

It’s a terrible feeling. Americans work hard every day and still feel like they’re getting nowhere.

The last thing that they need, the last thing that we need, is another war. [Pols emphasis]

Hickenlooper concluded his remarks with a simple message about priorities:

“We don’t need this war. We need to focus on doing better at home.”

Given that 3-in-4 Americans oppose the war with Iran and an equal number say that the cost of living has risen in the last year, it’s impossible to argue otherwise.