'Betrayed the American people': Sen. Tammy Duckworth slams Republicans over Iran vote reversal

Republican senators on Wednesday switched their votes on an Iran war powers resolution after a reportedly contentious meeting with President Donald Trump. The resolution that aimed to block the President from resuming hostilities in the Middle East failed after he expressed concerns over the move undermining negotiations with Tehran. While the move was largely symbolic, it was a big win for Democrats, who are now upset over the reversal, with Sen. Tammy Duckworth alleging that the Republicans betrayed the American people only to "bow down to Trump."

After an explosive meeting that at times turned into a shouting match, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who had previously voted to advance the resolution, reversed course and blocked it. In the closed-door lunch meeting, Cassidy said he had "lost my temper," and Trump said he raised his voice as well, according to CNBC. However, Cassidy later received a special briefing on the war, and Republicans held a late-night vote in which the two senators backed away. Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the flip and thank his party's leaders. "Wow! The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for," Trump wrote. 

Reacting to his post, Duckworth slammed the Republican Party for the consequences of the war. "Trump is too incompetent to negotiate a good deal to end his disastrous war—and it's hurting families, endangering our national security and humiliating our nation," she wrote. "Republicans own all of it."

Cassidy, the outgoing Louisiana senator, said his briefing at the White House addressed his concerns as he then returned to Capitol Hill to vote against the resolution. "I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran," Cassidy wrote in a post on X. "I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns." 

Similarly, Paul, who had consistently voted in support of previous such resolutions, voted present but not in support this time. He said his opinion on the debate over war and executive power didn't change, "But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position, I will do so," in his post on X. "My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace," he added.

Wednesday night's vote was the second procedural vote on the resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia). The Democrats on Tuesday celebrated after it passed with slim Republican support, and Kaine blamed the subsequent defeat on the "temper tantrum" that Trump threw during his lunch with Republican senators. The symbolic defeat also came at a time when Trump had ramped up pressure to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. This bill would impose strict rules on voters across America. The President refused to sign a crucial housing bill on Wednesday, demanding that the Senate pass the SAVE America Act first.