WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate rejected a war powers resolution Thursday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove American forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorized their continued involvement.

H.Con.Res.89 failed by a vote of 49-50, according to the official Senate roll call.

One senator did not vote.

The measure needed a simple majority for adoption.

The result means the resolution, which had previously passed the House, will not receive approval from both chambers of Congress.

Four Republicans vote for resolution

Four Republican senators joined most Democrats and both independents in voting for the measure.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted in favor.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against the resolution.

Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland did not vote.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen voted in favor of the resolution.

Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick voted against it.

What the resolution would have done

H.Con.Res.89 directed the president, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress had authorized the military involvement.

The resolution was part of a continuing congressional dispute over the division of war-making authority between the president and Congress.

Supporters argued during the debate that continued hostilities should require explicit congressional authorization.

Opponents argued that restricting the president's military authority during the conflict could interfere with ongoing national security operations.

Thursday's vote resolved the Senate's consideration of this particular resolution.

House approved measure in July

The House of Representatives approved H.Con.Res.89 on July 23 by a vote of 214-208.

The House Clerk recorded 210 Democrats and four Republicans voting in favor.

Two hundred seven Republicans and one independent voted against it.

Nine House members did not vote.

Because the Senate rejected the same resolution Thursday, H.Con.Res.89 did not receive approval from both chambers.

Narrow Senate margin

The 49-50 result continued a series of closely divided Senate votes over congressional efforts to limit U.S. military involvement in Iran.

The Senate had previously considered several Iran-related war powers measures during the conflict.

Thursday's vote was the Senate's 244th recorded roll call vote of the current session.

The official Senate record lists the question as adoption of H.Con.Res.89 and records the result as 'Concurrent Resolution Rejected.'

The vote took place at 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

Four Republicans crossed party lines

Collins, Murkowski and Paul had supported previous efforts to limit or require congressional authorization for military operations involving Iran.

Tillis joined them Thursday in supporting H.Con.Res.89.

Most Republican senators opposed the resolution.

Fetterman was the only Democratic senator recorded as voting against it.

Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont both voted in favor.

Alsobrooks was the only senator recorded as not voting.

Congressional war powers debate continues

The defeat of H.Con.Res.89 does not amount to a new congressional authorization for the Iran war.

Rather, the Senate declined to adopt this specific resolution directing removal of U.S. forces from hostilities absent congressional authorization.

Congress could still consider other legislation or war powers measures concerning the conflict.

The House has considered multiple Iran war powers resolutions during 2026, including another measure approved in September.

The Senate has likewise held repeated votes over presidential military authority during the conflict.

What happens now

With H.Con.Res.89 rejected, the resolution will not advance further as a measure approved by both chambers.

U.S. military involvement in the Iran conflict continues unless altered by the administration, subsequent congressional action or developments in the conflict.

The vote comes as U.S. and Iranian officials have also resumed indirect diplomatic contacts through mediators at the United Nations.

No broader congressional authorization for the current Iran hostilities was enacted as part of Thursday's vote.