Bill Cassidy, Jon Husted Vote No as Senate's 14th Iran War Powers Bid Fails

Two Republican senators who have criticized the Iran war, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Jon Husted of Ohio, voted Thursday against a resolution directing President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran, the Daily Caller reported. The measure failed 49-50, the 14th time the Senate has considered a war powers resolution since the war began Feb. 28, PBS NewsHour reported.

Four Republicans backed it: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, according to The Washington Post. Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted no, and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland did not vote.

Why it matters

With diesel above $6 a gallon and Republicans defending seats in states that rarely favor Democrats, the vote fixes each senator's position as the campaign enters its final weeks.

Cassidy's reversal since June

Cassidy was one of four Republicans who voted for a separate war powers resolution in June, alongside Paul, Collins and Murkowski, the Daily Caller reported. PBS NewsHour reported that Republicans reversed course the next day after Trump berated them at a private lunch, and that Cassidy ended up in a shouting match with the president before switching his vote after a personal White House briefing.

Cost of living pressure

Sen. John Kennedy, just back from campaigning for Republican candidates in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, urged Trump to give a prime-time address laying out the war's strategy and end game, PBS NewsHour reported. "People are confused about the war and upset about the cost of living," he said. He was not ready to vote against the war.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who believes the president is acting within his authority, said the priority lies elsewhere. "My own view is that the focus right now needs to be on attacking the cost of living issues," he said.

Tillis said, "We've got to break the cycle."

Diesel costs have almost doubled and topped $6 a gallon, according to AAA. An Associated Press-KFF survey found about half of rural voters believe the economy is worse than when Trump returned to office, with groceries, gas and health care ranking as their top concerns.

The Daily Caller reported that Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin and former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan have called for the war to end after previously supporting it. Hinson said Iowans "shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran."

The Senate map

Republicans face competitive races in Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Kansas and have ramped up spending there, including for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against state Rep. James Talarico, the Daily Caller reported. PolitiKool's polling average puts Talarico ahead by 3.4 points.

Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine, where PolitiKool's polling average shows Jackson up 2.2 points.

A CNN/SSRS poll found 26% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the war, including 60% of Republicans. PolitiKool's polling average puts Trump's overall approval at 38.1% against 59.1% disapproval.