Sen.Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., choked up on the Senate floor as he pointed to a bracelet honoring a fallen friend he said was "cut in half" by an Iranian bomb, turning a Democratic-led push to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers into an emotional warning about the cost of failing to confront Tehran.The Montana Republican and combat veteran delivered the fiery remarks in opposition to an Iran War Powers Resolution that would have forced the removal of U.S.
forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorized the mission.The Senate rejected an effort to advance the measure Thursday in a 47-49 vote, but not before Sheehy accused critics of ignoring decades of Iranian-backed attacks on Americans."We didn’t start this war, we did not.
But, we will finish it," Sheehy said from the Senate floor."And forever wars are not popular with anybody these days.
Both sides of [the aisle] love to attack our forever wars.And I can promise you, being someone overseas wearing the uniform, when you’re fighting for your country, you don’t care what party’s in office."REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR DESPITE RISING COSTS AND US DEATH TOLLSen.
Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., was seen during a series of Senate votes at the U.S.Capitol on June 17, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Sheehy argued Democrats were right to call the conflict a "war of choice," but said the choice was made by Iran’s regime decades ago — not by Trump."This is a war of choice.The Democrats are correct," Sheehy said.
"It’s a war of choice that was begun by a radical, lunatic band of terrorists that took over a beautiful nation 47 years ago."The former Navy SEAL then ticked through decades of attacks he tied to Iran and its proxies, invoking the 1983 Marine barracks bombing, the USS Cole, the Achille Lauro and terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.TRUMP THREATENS 'MAJOR MILITARY PUNISHMENT' FOR IRAN OVER FUTU...