53:47! The Senate rejects the "war restrictions" bill for the third time; is Trump's "military power" running rampant?
2026-03-25 10:53:56
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday (March 24) rejected its third war powers resolution this month by a vote of 53 to 47, which would have limited President Trump's military powers against Iran. The resolution, spearheaded by Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, was largely voted on along party lines, with only Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul voting in favor and Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetman voting against.
This marks the third time this month that the Senate has rejected a similar Democratic proposal, highlighting the deep partisan divide within Congress over military action against Iran.
The vote ended 53-47, with almost all Republican senators against and almost all Democratic senators in favor, with only two bipartisan exceptions. This is consistent with the results of the previous two similar resolutions introduced by Senators Booker and Cain, indicating that the Democratic efforts to limit the president's military power through war powers resolutions are unlikely to succeed under the current Senate composition.
The resolution introduced by Murphy criticizes the Trump administration's inconsistent timeline for Operation Epic Fury, arguing that American soldiers' lives are being unnecessarily endangered. The resolution calls for a complete separation of U.S. armed forces from hostile actions in or against Iran, essentially attempting to invoke the War Powers Resolution to revoke congressional authorization and force the president to end or limit military operations.
Similar to the previous two proposals, this bill did not receive enough cross-party support and ultimately failed to pass.
Before the vote, Trump stated that negotiations aimed at reaching a deal with Iran were underway, adding that "they are very eager to make a deal." He emphasized that the United States was speaking with the "right people" in Iran and had submitted a 15-point plan aimed at ending the war to Iran through intermediary channels.
The 15-point plan reportedly includes core demands such as dismantling Iranian nuclear facilities, ceasing support for regional proxy forces, limiting missile programs, and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In exchange, the United States plans to offer concessions such as the complete lifting of sanctions and support for Iran's civilian nuclear program, and has proposed a one-month ceasefire.
When domestic checks and balances fail in the United States, the foreign policy decisions of the executive branch become a core variable of risk, and this uncertainty itself is a supporting factor for gold. On Wednesday in Asian trading, spot gold fluctuated upwards and is currently trading around $4,590 per ounce, with a daily increase of approximately 2.6%.
(Spot gold daily chart, source: FX678)
The Senate's three consecutive rejections of war powers resolutions mean that Trump retains considerable autonomy in military action against Iran in the short term. However, congressional Democrats will continue to exert pressure and may restrict funding through budgetary or other legislative means in the future.
If the US-Iran negotiations achieve a breakthrough around Thursday with the help of mediators, military action may gradually de-escalate; conversely, if negotiations break down or Iran maintains a hardline stance, the US may continue its military buildup, further escalating regional tensions and global energy market volatility. Investors should pay attention to subsequent diplomatic developments, oil price trends, and the next steps taken by Congress.
The US Senate rejected its third resolution this month, by a vote of 53-47, to limit President Trump's war powers against Iran, maintaining partisan polarization with only Rand Paul supporting it bipartisanly. Meanwhile, Trump stated that progress had been made in US-Iran negotiations and that a 15-point ceasefire proposal had been submitted.
Overall, the US Congress’s efforts to reclaim military authorization through a war powers resolution have been thwarted. Trump still holds the initiative in the short term, but with diplomatic negotiations and domestic political pressures looming, the future of the Middle East remains uncertain.
At 10:53 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,588.96 per ounce.
This marks the third time this month that the Senate has rejected a similar Democratic proposal, highlighting the deep partisan divide within Congress over military action against Iran.
The vote ended 53-47, with almost all Republican senators against and almost all Democratic senators in favor, with only two bipartisan exceptions. This is consistent with the results of the previous two similar resolutions introduced by Senators Booker and Cain, indicating that the Democratic efforts to limit the president's military power through war powers resolutions are unlikely to succeed under the current Senate composition.
Core content of the War Powers Resolution
The resolution introduced by Murphy criticizes the Trump administration's inconsistent timeline for Operation Epic Fury, arguing that American soldiers' lives are being unnecessarily endangered. The resolution calls for a complete separation of U.S. armed forces from hostile actions in or against Iran, essentially attempting to invoke the War Powers Resolution to revoke congressional authorization and force the president to end or limit military operations.
Similar to the previous two proposals, this bill did not receive enough cross-party support and ultimately failed to pass.
Trump's latest statement and 15-point plan
Before the vote, Trump stated that negotiations aimed at reaching a deal with Iran were underway, adding that "they are very eager to make a deal." He emphasized that the United States was speaking with the "right people" in Iran and had submitted a 15-point plan aimed at ending the war to Iran through intermediary channels.
The 15-point plan reportedly includes core demands such as dismantling Iranian nuclear facilities, ceasing support for regional proxy forces, limiting missile programs, and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In exchange, the United States plans to offer concessions such as the complete lifting of sanctions and support for Iran's civilian nuclear program, and has proposed a one-month ceasefire.
Analysis of the impact on the gold market
When domestic checks and balances fail in the United States, the foreign policy decisions of the executive branch become a core variable of risk, and this uncertainty itself is a supporting factor for gold. On Wednesday in Asian trading, spot gold fluctuated upwards and is currently trading around $4,590 per ounce, with a daily increase of approximately 2.6%.
(Spot gold daily chart, source: FX678)
Market Outlook and Risks
The Senate's three consecutive rejections of war powers resolutions mean that Trump retains considerable autonomy in military action against Iran in the short term. However, congressional Democrats will continue to exert pressure and may restrict funding through budgetary or other legislative means in the future.
If the US-Iran negotiations achieve a breakthrough around Thursday with the help of mediators, military action may gradually de-escalate; conversely, if negotiations break down or Iran maintains a hardline stance, the US may continue its military buildup, further escalating regional tensions and global energy market volatility. Investors should pay attention to subsequent diplomatic developments, oil price trends, and the next steps taken by Congress.
Editor's Summary
The US Senate rejected its third resolution this month, by a vote of 53-47, to limit President Trump's war powers against Iran, maintaining partisan polarization with only Rand Paul supporting it bipartisanly. Meanwhile, Trump stated that progress had been made in US-Iran negotiations and that a 15-point ceasefire proposal had been submitted.
Overall, the US Congress’s efforts to reclaim military authorization through a war powers resolution have been thwarted. Trump still holds the initiative in the short term, but with diplomatic negotiations and domestic political pressures looming, the future of the Middle East remains uncertain.
At 10:53 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,588.96 per ounce.
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