US congress is taking its first votes on the Iran war as debate rages about goals

The U.S. Senate was moving toward a vote on President Donald Trump’s decision to wage war against Iran, marking a major congressional test over a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East amid uncertainty over U.S. strategy.

The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The Senate resolution and a similar bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass.

Nonetheless, the votes marked a weighty moment for lawmakers. Their decisions on the five-day-old war — which Trump entered without congressional approval – could determine the fates of U.S. military members, countless other lives, and the future of the region.

“Wars without clear objectives do not remain small. They get bigger, bloodier, longer, and more expensive,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference Tuesday. “This is not a necessary war. It’s a war of choice.”