Senate fails to overcome Trump veto on resolution about Iran

The Senate on Thursday did not have enough votes to overcome President Trump's veto of a resolution that ordered the president to cease hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran unless Congress authorizes military engagement. 

The Senate's 49-44 vote to supersede the presidential veto was nowhere near the two-thirds required. Seven Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of overturning the veto.

The resolution was introduced in January following a U.S. strike against Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani while he was in Iraq and a subsequent retaliatory missile strike from Iran. 

Trump on Wednesday vetoed the resolution.

In a message that same day to the Senate, the president said that the resolution's "apparent aim was to prevent an escalation in hostilities between the United States and Iran" but "no such escalation has occurred over the past 4 months, contrary to the often dire and confident predictions of many."

Trump in another statement blasted the resolution as "very insulting" and he described it as a Democratic political ploy during an election year, adding that Republicans who backed the resolution "played right into their hands."

The president said that the resolution he vetoed sought to restrict the presidential use of military force.

"The resolution implies that the President’s constitutional authority to use military force is limited to defense of the United States and its forces against imminent attack. That is incorrect," Trump declared.

Democratic New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall on Thursday expressed his "disappointment" regarding both the veto and the Senate's failure to override it.

"I am deeply disappointed that @POTUS vetoed our resolution to prevent unconstitutional war w/ Iran, and that the Senate did not override his veto to protect the Constitution," Udall tweeted.