What PA Sen. John Fetterman's vote means for Trump, US war with Iran

With U.S. Sen. John Fetterman's deciding vote on a war power resolution, President Donald Trump's power to attack Iran remains unlimited.

On May 13, the U.S. Senate voted on a resolution that, if it had passed, would have limited Trump's ability to attack Iran, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. But the resolution failed 50-49 when Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been a staunch supporter of the war since it began in February, broke with his party and voted against the resolution with Republicans.

Resolution to limit Trump's power in Iran war stopped by Fetterman's deciding vote

Democrats have repeatedly attempted to rein Trump in through war powers resolutions, though their efforts have been rejected by Republicans each time. Fetterman has been the lone Democrat in the Senate to vote with Republicans against these measures, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The resolution, which would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from conflict with Iran, was the first time the Senate has voted to end the war in Iran since the 60-day window set by the War Powers Act ended, The Hill reported.

That window sets a deadline on how long the president may act unilaterally in the nation's defense without authorization from Congress. The clock began counting down on March 2 after Trump notified Congress of the use of force against Iran. Democrats argued that the deadline ended on May 1, while Republicans say it hasn't been reached because the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in early April, The Hill reported.

Fetterman's deciding vote on the May 13 resolution was the seventh time he has broken from the Democrats to vote against efforts to limit Trump's power to attack Iran, the Inquirer reported, with the previous vote taking place on April 15.

Three Republican senators broke from their party to vote in favor of the resolution — Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY), The Hill reported.

Fetterman often at odds with Democrats, but rarely deciding vote

Fetterman's votes related to Iran are hardly the first time he has clashed with members of his own party.

Fetterman remains an ideological Democrat based on GovTrack's Ideology-Leadership Chart, which shows several Democratic senators who are ideologically closer to the Republican Party. Still, his votes in favor of President Donald Trump's cabinet picks, public criticism of Democrats and repeat appearances on Fox News' 2022 election have led some to speculate that he will switch parties, with Pennsylvania's GOP Chair Senator Greg Rothman saying in April that he's monitoring Fetterman to see if he'll jump ship, according to The Patriot-News.

Since 2023, Fetterman has assumed a hardline stance in his support for Israel, particularly in relation to Israel's military action in Gaza, as compared to other Democrats, according to The Hill.

In March of this year, he voted to confirm Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, even though most of the Democrats in the upper chamber did not back Mullin.

Fetterman voted with Republicans to end the government shutdown in fall 2025, then again to approve an annual Department of Homeland Security bill without new restrictions on federal immigration enforcement. But his votes have generally not been a deciding factor in whether or not an issue passes, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Fetterman has pushed back on speculation that he will switch parties, saying in a column published in The Washington Post on May 7 he'd "be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats."

"It doesn’t matter if my colleague is in my party or across the aisle," Fetterman said. "My focus remains on working together to find wins and deliver for my constituents. And though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians."

Fetterman remains staunchly supportive of war against Iran

Fetterman has repeatedly broken with his party in their efforts to restrict Trump's attacks in Iran and has frequently said that the Trump administration's attacks on Iran were warranted to stop the development of a nuclear weapon and to destroy the country's theocratic regime, the Inquirer reported.

The regime is still in place under new leadership, and while Trump told CBS News in March that Iran's "missiles are down to a scatter" and that the country had "nothing left in a military sense," military intelligence agencies have reported that Iran still has military capabilities, the New York Times reported.

Fetterman emphasized in his Washington Post column from May 7 that "the leading state sponsor of terror should be held to account."

"In the wake of the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah have ramped up their attempts to dismantle our ally," he said. "I remained committed to fully backing the elimination of these terrorists and their leaders."

How does Fetterman score with Pennsylvania voters?

Though Fetterman was elected as a Democrat, it's Republicans who now favor him.

A February Quinnipiac University poll showed that 46% of Pennsylvania voters approve of Fetterman's performance, with 40% disapproving, Punchbowl News reported. He's up 74%–18% among Republicans, while among Democrats, he's down 62%–22%.

In March, Fetterman told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation that his popularity with Republicans is confusing.

“I, [in] some strange way, I am more popular with Republicans, which is, it’s confusing because I vote, I vote in the 90s (percentage-wise) Dem line, and I didn’t, and I haven’t [voted] for the big ticket Trump ones like ‘big, beautiful bill’ or SAVE Act, and for those things," Fetterman told Cuomo, as reported by The Hill.

"So, I mean, there’s a lot of misinformation, I guess, but I am guilty of being a very proud supporter of Israel, and then I do support [Operation] Epic Fury," he added.

It's a far cry from 2022, when Fetterman comfortably coasted in Allegheny County on Election Night 2022. He recorded 363,873 votes (63.4%) while Republican challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz received 200,672 (34.9%), according to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania election results.

The votes from the Pittsburgh area and Allegheny County made up more than 13.2% of Fetterman's 2,751,012 total votes in 2022.

Fetterman is not up for reelection until 2028.

Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at [email protected]. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.