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The lawmakers want to use the threat of more votes to force administration officials to testify publicly about their rationale for the war.

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Senate Dems threaten wave of war votes to force Iran hearing

Connor O’Brien, 03/09/2026, 2:01pm ET

Democrats are threatening to force repeat Iran votes in the Senate unless administration officials testify publicly about the U.S. military campaign.

The move is an escalation of Democrats’ efforts to oppose the joint U.S.-Israel operation, after an initial war powers vote failed last week. The senators plan to inform Majority Leader John Thune on Monday that they want to see public debate and oversight of the military campaign by relevant committees or will hold up the chamber’s other work by bringing the votes to the Senate floor, according to aides for the senators, who were granted anonymity to discuss emerging plans.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) filed five separate war powers resolutions last week that would halt military operations in Iran unless authorized by Congress. They were joined by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

“Americans do not want their taxpayer dollars funding another potential forever war as they carry the crushing weight of Republicans’ price hikes and health care cuts at home,” the senators said in a joint statement.

They demanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear “immediately” at a public hearing to explain the war, its cost and its endgame. “Now is the time for Democrats to use all the leverage we have to try to stop this unnecessary war,” the Democrats said.

Hegseth, Rubio and other senior officials made the administration’s case to lawmakers in the House and Senate last week in classified briefings. The Pentagon chief and top diplomat have argued the aim of the conflict is to degrade Iran’s military capabilities and avoid a regime-change war. But those assertions have been muddled by Trump’s own varying rationales for the war.

Republicans and Democrats largely split along partisan lines on the strength of their case.

The resolutions — which were filed last Thursday — are privileged, meaning the sponsors can force expedited votes that bypass the Senate’s typical 60-vote threshold to advance bills. The Democrats can begin to force those votes next week, 10 days after the resolutions were filed.

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