Iran War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res. 118)
Would direct the President to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress declares war or specifically authorizes force.
The Senate rejected a motion to discharge S.J.Res. 118 from the Foreign Relations Committee on March 18, 2026, by a vote of 47 to 53. This action did not decide passage of the resolution.
Part of Senate Votes on Iran War Powers, with how every senator voted on 15 related roll calls.
Status
introduced
Mar 5, 2026
Recorded actions
1
Complete roll calls
Origin
senate
119th Congress
Public law
Not enacted
No enactment date
How the Senate voted
Each roll call below links to the complete list of how every senator voted, with the official question and source.
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· Senate roll call 58
Advancing an Iran War Powers Resolution
Discharge S.J.Res. 118, an Iran war powers resolution, from the Foreign Relations Committee
Motion to Discharge Rejected · 47 yea, 53 nay, 0 not voting
What the text provides
Summaries of provisions visible in the cited measure text, with the exact location to check.
Direction to remove forces
Section 2(a) would direct the President, under section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985, to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.
Section 2(a) · Source record
Rules of construction
Section 2(b) states that the resolution does not prevent the United States from defending against attacks on the United States or its personnel or facilities abroad, sharing intelligence with Israel and other partners about threats from Iran or its proxies, or helping Israel and partner countries attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026 defend against retaliatory attacks, including with defensive materiel.
Section 2(b)(1) through (3) · Source record
Findings
Section 1 states findings on Congress's power to declare war, the President's responsibility to defend against attack, the purposes and consultation requirement of the War Powers Resolution, the military buildup and air strikes ordered on February 28, 2026, and the expedited procedures that apply to the resolution.
Section 1, paragraphs (1) through (9) · Source record
How this text differs from S.J.Res. 104
Compared with S.J.Res. 104, an earlier measure in this vote series with a Senate roll call on Mar 4, 2026. Locations refer to S.J.Res. 118.
Section 2(a), the direction to the President, uses the same words as S.J.Res. 104. S.J.Res. 118 adds findings on the War Powers Resolution and the February 28, 2026 air strikes, and extends its exceptions to partner countries attacked by Iran since that date.
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Section 1, paragraphs (4) and (5)
Adds findings quoting the War Powers Resolution's stated purpose and its requirement that the President consult Congress before introducing forces into hostilities.
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Section 1, paragraphs (6) and (7)
Adds findings that the United States carried out its largest military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq during January and February 2026, and that on February 28, 2026, President Trump ordered air strikes inside Iran without congressional authorization or consultation.
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Section 2(b)(2) and (3)
Extends the intelligence-sharing and defensive-assistance exceptions to partner countries attacked by Iran since February 28, 2026, alongside Israel and other nations. The defensive-assistance exception covers directly defending against retaliatory attacks upon their territories.
Texts compared: S.J.Res. 118 as introduced: Iran war powers · S.J.Res. 104 as introduced: Iran war powers
Statements on related topics from the same weeks
Statements that share a topic with this measure and were made within 30 days of one of its votes. They are not described as statements about this measure.
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Angela Alsobrooks on Her Iran War Powers Vote
“That’s why I voted for Senator Kaine’s War Powers resolution to end this war. The Constitution is clear: the power to declare war belongs to Congress.”
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John Hickenlooper on an Iran War Powers Vote
“Congress never authorized this illegal war. Let’s obey the law and end it.”
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Alex Padilla on Israel Arms Sales and the Iran Conflict
“We oppose actions that further deepen the United States in an unauthorized conflict in Iran—one with no clear strategy, no legal authority, and no defined end.”
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Jim Banks on Iran's Nuclear Program
“Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. I mean, that’s what these negotiations are all about. That’s what this war is about. Any terms that fall short of that is unsuccessful.”
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Tina Smith on U.S. Military Policy Toward Iran
“America’s moral leadership and rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries in the world. President Trump’s threats this morning to destroy an entire civilization and...”
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Catherine Cortez Masto on Her Iran War Powers Vote
“President Trump should not be bypassing Congress and the American public to spend our tax dollars and sacrifice American lives on a war with no clear objective, end game, or...”
Sources for this record
How to read this record
Use each official roll call to verify the exact action and every recorded member position. Use the cited measure text to verify the provision summaries. A vote does not establish a legislator's motive or support for every provision in a multi-subject measure.