Congress took its first votes on July 23 since President Trump informed it that he had restarted the war on Iran—and the result captures the state of the institution. The House passed a War Powers resolution against the war, 214 to 208; the Senate killed its counterpart, 47 to 49.
But look closer at what was being voted on. The House measure was a concurrent resolution—simply an expression of Congressional disapproval. The Senate measure, offered by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), was a joint resolution with legal force—and that is the one that died, two votes short. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), facing a difficult reelection, crossed over to vote yes. Sen. John Fetterman (PA) was the lone Democrat voting no. So the House passed the gesture, and the Senate killed the resolution that would require Trump to end the war—which, even if passed, faced a certain veto, though it would have put every member on the record for the override fight.
