{"id":5820,"date":"2026-07-31T12:31:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/31\/senators-accuse-republican-gelatinous-blobs-of-caving-to-trump-on-iran-war\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T12:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:31:54","slug":"senators-accuse-republican-gelatinous-blobs-of-caving-to-trump-on-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5820","title":{"rendered":"Senators accuse Republican \u2018gelatinous blobs\u2019 of caving to Trump on Iran war"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"81924945-8380-45db-8fc0-820dabca71f3\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man and woman speaking to each other\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/c057bc9861980ef33b86e030316340f2a6852567\/0_0_6720_4480\/master\/6720.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, right, with Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, in November 2022.<\/span> Photograph: Bloomberg\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"81924945-8380-45db-8fc0-820dabca71f3\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, right, with Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, in November 2022.<\/span> Photograph: Bloomberg\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Senators accuse Republican \u2018gelatinous blobs\u2019 of caving to Trump on Iran war<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Democrats Warren and Van Hollen attack Republican \u2018rubber stamps\u2019 in Congress for ceding authority to Trump<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Senior Democrats accused <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Republicans<\/a> in the US Congress of becoming \u201cgelatinous blobs\u201d who won\u2019t stand up to Donald Trump and \u201crubber stamps\u201d for his war on Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Elizabeth Warren, a US senator for Massachusetts, and Chris Van Hollen, a US senator for Maryland, argued that the Republican-controlled Congress had surrendered its constitutional authority to the president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In interviews with the Guardian, the senators urged their Republican colleagues to stand with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democrats<\/a> and assert Congress\u2019s authority as a separate branch of the federal government<strong> \u2013<\/strong> with power over declaring war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe Republicans have all had their spines surgically removed,\u201d Warren said in Michigan<strong>,<\/strong> while stumping for the Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. \u201cI mean, they\u2019re just gelatinous blobs that kind of make it through the United States Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The constitution sets up three separate branches of government to hold one another accountable, Warren noted \u2013 and the assumption was that each of the three branches would \u201cjealously guard its own powers\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cBut with Donald Trump in the White House, and a bunch of weak-kneed Republicans in the House [of Representatives] and the Senate, all of a sudden, we\u2019ve lost the whole game,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The US-Israel war on Iran, launched in February, has cost the US tens of billions of dollars. Hundreds of US service members have been wounded and 18 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/26\/pentagon-iran-war-troop-deaths-casualty-report\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">have been killed<\/a> since the start of the operation. A tentative peace deal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/29\/us-saudi-strikes-in-iraq-have-pushed-the-region-into-uncharted-territory-analysts-warn\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">fractured in recent weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The latest congressional bid to rein in Trump\u2019s attacks on the Middle East failed on Thursday, when a war powers resolution failed by 49 votes to 50 in the Senate.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"afcc4128-eb1b-47a5-80f4-49d21f4561b7\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-8 | 8\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/30\/donald-trump-senate-iran-war-power\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">US Senate rejects bid to rein in Trump\u2019s authority over Iran war<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The controversial conflict rumbles on, as Trump faces a crucial political test with November\u2019s US midterm elections. Democrats could win back power in the House, which is currently controlled by Republicans, and are also vying to retake control of the Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">If there is a Democratic majority, Warren suggested that, coupled with the groundswell of opposition to the war among voters, could enable Congress to serve as a proper check on Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">If that happens, \u201cI think we are able to rein in Donald Trump and [defense secretary] Pete Hegseth<strong>,<\/strong> even if they have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/24\/pentagon-testosterone-hegseth-judge-trans-troops\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">gallons of testosterone<\/a>\u201d, said Warren.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Earlier this month, the House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/23\/house-trump-war-powers-resolution-iran\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">passed a war powers resolution<\/a> for the second time that directed Trump to withdraw the US military from Iran <strong>\u2013<\/strong> this time on a 214-208 vote<strong>,<\/strong> with four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting in favor. But in the Senate, the resolution failed 47-49.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In June, a similar war powers resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/23\/trump-iran-war-powers-resolution\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">passed<\/a> the Senate. The resolution directs the USmilitary be removed from Iran without explicit approval from Congress. Van Hollen, who introduced the war powers resolution, said the situation in Iran was a \u201csenseless war\u201d that \u201cshould never have started\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cUltimately, Congress will have to turn off the funding spigot for this war,\u201d Van Hollen, also in Michigan to support El-Sayed, said. \u201cAnd I will not vote for a dime for this illegal war,\u201d adding that he wouldn\u2019t support Hegseth\u2019s request for more funding, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/21\/hegseth-pentagon-supplemental-funding-request-senate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">delivered<\/a> to the appropriations committee earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cAt some point, these Republican senators are going to have to explain to their constituents why they\u2019ve contracted out their constitutional responsibilities to Donald Trump, because that\u2019s what they\u2019re doing,\u201d saidVan Hollen. \u201cSo long as you have a majority of senators who are turning over their constitutional responsibilities to Donald Trump, then they\u2019re just rubber stamps for Donald Trump\u2019s illegal war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Van Hollen said Democrats should continue to press for votes on the war powers resolution<strong>,<\/strong> to hold Republican senators accountable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The war is unpopular in the US, with 29% of Americans approving of Trump\u2019s handling of the situation with Iran, and 69% disapproving, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/tablet\/2026\/07\/15\/july-8-13-2026-washington-post-ipsos-poll\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Washington Post-Ipsos poll<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cI would rather see Republicans assert their constitutional duties and help us end the war now,\u201d added Van Hollen. \u201cBut, you know, maybe they\u2019ll get the message from their constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US news<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/us-israel-war-on-iran\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US-Israel war on Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-congress\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/republicans\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US midterm elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Senators%20accuse%20Republican%20%E2%80%98gelatinous%20blobs%E2%80%99%20of%20caving%20to%20Trump%20on%20Iran%20war&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/31\/republicans-gelatinous-blobs-iran-war?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F31%2Frepublicans-gelatinous-blobs-iran-war&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/31\/republicans-gelatinous-blobs-iran-war\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, right, with Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}