Senate Democrats say that they’d plan to use federal funding authorities to force the Trump administration to negotiate with the Iranian regime and end the Iran war if their party regains the majority in the next Congress. 

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told Jewish Insider, with President Donald Trump continuing to ignore war powers votes from Congress that have attempted to force an end to the conflict, Democrats are “sort of pushed back to the approp[riations] side.”

“I think we would use approp[riations] levers — either to put guardrails, not allowing funds unless or until there was an authorization [for use of military force passed by Congress]. That’s probably the thing you could do,” Kaine said.

He suggested that Democrats could also consider amending the War Powers Act to trigger an automatic cutoff of funding for military operations undertaken unilaterally by the executive branch after 60 days unless Congress authorizes further operations, so that the White House cannot “ignore” Congress going forward.

But he added, “my hope would be maybe there’s a scenario by the time we get back [after the midterm elections] the war is actually over.”

Others see different avenues to leveraging funding authorities.

Asked about colleagues’ comments on leveraging funding authorities and the possibility of withholding funding to the Pentagon, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said that he thinks lawmakers would be more likely to withhold funds for White House operations, while noting that the administration has asked for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027.

“That’s where there’s more pressure you can put on a president,” he said, referring to White House operations funding. “It’s our job to appropriate money. And what the president’s doing in pocket recissions — [that’s] not constitutional.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said that Democrats would work to “bring an end to this reckless, insidiously costly war.” 

Pressed for details, including whether Democrats would consider withholding money from the Defense Department, Blumenthal said that “the power of the purse is the most likely means, but investigating and holding hearings” would also be an important avenue.

Blumenthal said that the administration “concealed, relentlessly and tirelessly,” the damage to U.S. facilities in the Middle East and the “real cost of the war in readiness and so many other negative impacts that make us less safe.”

“We have an obligation to uncover it for the American people, and hopefully force Trump to negotiate realistically with, certainly, a harder-line regime than the one there at the beginning,” Blumenthal said.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said that Democrats will “certainly have the votes to pass war powers resolutions, and with the power of the purse, we can also use that to bring this war to an end.”

Asked about Senate Democrats’ plans for Iran in a majority, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) said simply, “End the war.”

Kelly also said that Democrats would need to “figure out a way out” and “could compel the president to put a serious approach to negotiating with the Iranians” driven by experienced professionals, rather than figures including White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Other Senate Democrats declined to preview their plans, with one senior Democrat telling JI that most Democrats are “both superstitious and smart” so they aren’t making or sharing their strategies at this point.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said it would be “a little speculative” to discuss what plans for a theoretical Democratic majority might entail.