Fetterman Only Dem Who Opposed Party’s Iran ‘War Powers’ Push
Once again, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania defied the rest of his party, this time by opposing an attempt on Wednesday to pass a war powers resolution that would force President Donald Trump to limit actions against Iran.
Supporters of the measure, along with a related one in the House known as war powers resolutions, recognized that they faced significant challenges due to the near-unanimous backing for the war among the Republicans who control Congress. However, they emphasized that the votes were still important as a way to test lawmakers, especially considering Trump’s opposition to seeking congressional approval for the joint Israeli-American operations against Iran.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on another measure this Thursday, which also encounters significant hurdles. This is partly because a small group of pro-Israel Democrats has introduced competing legislation, The Intercept reported.
While Fetterman opposed the Senate bill, one Republican – Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky – sided with Democrats in supporting it.
Fetterman said on Wednesday that Trump’s actions to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions was “entirely appropriate” and that U.S. and Israeli forces should continue to target whoever is selected to succeed slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Just keep killing them until they’re gone,” Fetterman told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on CNN News Central.
“I absolutely support that. I think that’s entirely appropriate until hopefully they’ll pick someone that realizes that they need to live and coexist in peace in the region and stop trying to destroy Israel and to stabilize the region,” he added.
Khamenei, who served as the supreme leader for over three decades, was killed in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes early Saturday morning that targeted his compound and Iran’s nuclear program.
Some international media reports indicate that Iran’s Assembly of Experts chose Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor on Tuesday; however, this has not been confirmed by state media, The Hill reported.
An Israeli airstrike reportedly struck the building during a meeting of officials who were voting.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that any leader appointed by the regime would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”
“It does not matter what his name is or the place where he hides,” Katz wrote in a post on the social platform X, describing the plot as an “integral part of the objectives” of the ongoing military operation.
“We will continue to act with full force, together with our American partners, to crush the regime’s capabilities and create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow it and replace it,” Katz continued.
Israel has clearly stated its goal of pursuing regime change in Iran, while U.S. officials have emphasized that nation-building is not part of their agenda. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have described the mission as focused on eliminating nuclear and missile threats, despite President Trump encouraging the Iranian people to “take over” their government.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Trump mentioned that “most of the people” he envisioned leading Iran next are already deceased. He cautioned that the worst-case scenario would be a successor who is as extreme or even more extreme than Khamenei.
“I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen, we don’t want that to happen, it would probably be the worst,” he said.
Pennsylvania’s other senator, Dave McCormack, a Republican, also voted against the Democrat-led war powers resolution.
Iranian officials told U.S. negotiators ahead of military operations that the country had managed to hide its nuclear weapons development from international monitors while enriching enough uranium for at least 11 bombs.
Vote To Remove Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar From Congress Being Considered By Republican Congressman
Minnesota - June 7, 2026
In a closely divided 5-3 vote that fell one short of the required threshold, Minnesota House Republicans failed to secure a subpoena compelling U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar to testify and produce documents tied to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
The outcome on May 5 marked the dramatic conclusion of months of mounting scrutiny over the congresswoman’s legislative actions and community outreach during the pandemic-era program at the center of one of the largest federal fraud investigations in recent Minnesota history. The House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, operating under a bipartisan agreement that demands six votes to authorize a subpoena, saw every Republican member support the measure while all three Democrats opposed it.
Committee Chair Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) argued that the subpoena had become the only remaining tool after Omar repeatedly declined invitations to appear and failed to respond to formal document requests.
“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,” Robbins said ahead of the vote. “The only tool left for us as a committee if we want to get these documents is to issue a subpoena.”
Republicans on the panel have focused on Omar’s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act, enacted in March 2020. They contend the legislation loosened critical oversight requirements in federal child nutrition programs and helped create the conditions that enabled large-scale fraud.
“Representative Omar had some role, whether inadvertent or not,” Robbins said. “She passed the MEALS Act in March of 2020, and that took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program which created the conditions for Feeding Our Future.”
The Feeding Our Future scandal stands as one of Minnesota’s most significant public corruption cases in recent decades. Federal prosecutors allege that organizers and associates diverted hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children through fabricated meal claims, shell nonprofit organizations, and fraudulent reimbursement requests. Dozens of individuals have been charged, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and multiple business operators connected to Minnesota’s Somali community.
Committee Republicans specifically sought communications between Omar’s office and several individuals named in the federal investigation, along with records related to her public promotion of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, a business later linked to the scandal. Robbins also referenced a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted the restaurant as a meal distribution site during the pandemic.
“We thought it’d be very helpful to understand from Rep. Omar’s perspective how she thought the MEALS Act impacted the community, why she brought it, what communication she had with the fraudsters,” Robbins said during the hearing.
Democrats on the committee strongly opposed the effort, accusing Republicans of politicizing the investigation and targeting Omar for partisan advantage. Dave Pinto, the committee’s lead Democrat, questioned both the timing and practical purpose of pursuing a subpoena with only days remaining in the legislative session.
“Even if Omar were to testify or information is received, I do not see the committee doing anything with that information,” Pinto argued.
Pinto further referenced broader concerns about investigations involving political opponents under the current federal administration.
“We know the president and federal administration have got no hesitation going after political enemies and investigating them in all sorts of ways,” he said during the hearing.
The failed vote effectively prevents the Minnesota House committee from compelling Omar’s testimony or documents before the legislative session ends later this month. Nevertheless, Robbins signaled that Republicans are exploring alternative avenues to continue the pursuit.
“They’re fading,” Robbins said. “But I’ll certainly talk to our friends in Congress to see if they would be willing to issue a subpoena.”
Robbins noted that federal authorities retain “a whole menu of legal options” because Omar is a sitting member of Congress. The controversy unfolds amid broader Republican efforts at both state and national levels to highlight waste, fraud, and inadequate oversight in federal spending programs enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New California Leader Announced After Overnight Count as Kash Patel Demands Recount Over Democrat Fraud
Primary voters in Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights went to the polls on Tuesday night to decide who would represent California’s 7th Assembly District.
According to early results from the California Secretary of State’s Office, Josh Hoover, the Republican incumbent, has surged to first place with about 54 percent of the vote as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. Democratic candidate Amy Slavensky got about 44 percent of the vote.
Based on reports from the Associated Press, the two candidates will face off in November. The seat went from being Democratic to Republican under Hoover in 2022.
Hoover, who lives in Folsom, was Kevin Kiley’s chief of staff when he was an assemblyman. He hosts the political podcast “Point of Order” and belongs to the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus.
Slavensky came out of retirement to become the interim deputy superintendent for the San Juan Unified School District. She retired in 2021 as superintendent of the Amador County Unified School District.
California faced fresh criticism this week over Tuesday’s primary elections, with Democratic leaders warning that full ballot counting could take weeks.
In Los Angeles, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass fell short of 51 percent, forcing a November runoff. Republican Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV personality, leads Democrat and City Council member Nithya Raman.
With 62 percent of votes counted as of Wednesday night, New York Times figures as of Thursday morning show:
Karen Bass — 183,701 (35 percent)
Spencer Pratt — 157,116 (29.9 percent)
Nithya Raman — 119,809 (22.8 percent)
No Republican has won Los Angeles mayor in over three decades. Pratt’s performance signals voter frustration with the city after years of Democratic rule.
Spencer Pratt filed a complaint Tuesday on X against Karen Bass.
“Karen Bass just violated election law here,” Pratt wrote.
“She is so accustomed to breaking the law with no accountability, she even filmed herself doing it. Well, those days are over. We just filed a formal complaint for illegally gaming the election. We must protect our democracy.”
“Electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. Soliciting votes at a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW,” he wrote.
“These clear violations show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and our democratic process.”
“A person in a position of power such as Bass should be especially respectful of our democratic laws, but this is just emblematic of Karen’s mafia-like regime. It’s ‘rules for thee, but not for me,’” Pratt said.
Pratt posted a photo of the complaint. California law bans electioneering within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes. The complaint targets a Bass video showing her urging votes near a ballot box. A Bass spokesperson dismissed the complaint and questioned Pratt’s campaign.
