What Sen. Pete Ricketts has said about the Iran conflict, and how he voted on Senate war powers resolutions since February 2026.
Statements and the roll calls
This page sets Sen. Pete Ricketts’s published statements on the Iran conflict next to the Senate roll calls.
The quotations are from his March 4, 2026 floor speech, a May 20 press call reported by 1011 Now, and a July 8 statement to KETV. The votes are from senate.gov.
U.S. Senate · since February 2026
He has voted no on every Iran war powers resolution he voted on. That is 13 votes.
On July 8, 2026, he told KETV: “If Iran wants to pursue aggression instead of peace, then it's time to turn the pressure back up.”
KETV, July 8, 2026 ↗Senate floor
“A country that chants 'Death to America' and has a nuclear weapon and a missile that can reach us is a danger to our people. This can never be allowed to happen, and that is why we have to destroy their ability to threaten us and their neighbors right now before it gets out of control. If we wait too long, we may not be able to stop it.”
“And ultimately, we will continue to go after their nuclear facilities that they stubbornly refuse to give up.”
Floor speech. The wording is from his office’s press release of the remarks. C-SPAN has the video.
March 4, 2026
Press call
“So the resolution itself is moot in my opinion. And I also believe the president has the ability to defend us, and we cannot allow a country that chants 'death to America' to have a nuclear weapon or a missile to reach the United States.”
Comments the day after the Senate’s May 19 war powers vote, reported by 1011 Now (KOLN). A ceasefire was in place in May.
May 20, 2026
Statement to KETV
“A country that chants 'death to America' can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Iran had plenty of opportunities to agree on a diplomatic solution. It was Iran's illegal and belligerent behavior that ended the ceasefire. If Iran wants to pursue aggression instead of peace, then it's time to turn the pressure back up.”
Statement KETV published July 8, 2026, after the ceasefire collapsed in early July.
July 8, 2026
Ricketts voted no on all 13 Iran war powers votes he cast since February, including Sept. 24’s 49–50 vote. He did not vote on May 13. He has not voted yes. The two measures that passed, on May 19 and June 23, passed with him voting no.
| Date | Roll call | Measure | Result | Ricketts | Fischer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2026 | 46 | S.J.Res.104, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–53 | Nay | Nay |
| March 18, 2026 | 58 | S.J.Res.118, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–53 | Nay | Nay |
| March 24, 2026 | 69 | S.J.Res.116, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–53 | Nay | Nay |
| April 15, 2026 | 79 | S.J.Res.123, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–52 | Nay | Nay |
| April 22, 2026 | 88 | S.J.Res.114, motion to discharge | Rejected 46–51 | Nay | Nay |
| April 30, 2026 | 113 | S.J.Res.184, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–50 | Nay | Nay |
| May 13, 2026 | 118 | S.J.Res.163, motion to discharge | Rejected 49–50 | Not voting | Nay |
| May 19, 2026 | 129 | S.J.Res.185, motion to discharge | Agreed 50–47 | Nay | Nay |
| June 16, 2026 | 174 | S.J.Res.172, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–48 | Nay | Nay |
| June 23, 2026 | 184 | H.Con.Res.86, concurrent resolution (sec. 5(c) WPR) | Agreed 50–48 | Nay | Nay |
| June 24, 2026 | 192 | S.J.Res.185, motion to proceed | Rejected 47–50 | Nay | Nay |
| July 23, 2026 | 207 | S.J.Res.180, motion to discharge | Rejected 47–49 | Nay | Nay |
| July 30, 2026 | 216 | S.J.Res.181, motion to discharge | Rejected 49–50 | Nay | Nay |
| Sept. 24, 2026 | 244 | H.Con.Res.89, concurrent resolution (sec. 5(c) WPR) | Rejected 49–50 | Nay | Nay |
Each roll call links to senate.gov. Senate vote menu, 119th Congress, 2nd session ↗
The U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. The Congressional Budget Office letter on the cost of the war uses the Pentagon’s name for it, Operation Epic Fury. A press release from Rep. Tom Barrett says the president reported the action to Congress on March 2, that the 60-day war-powers clock ran out May 1, and that the administration told Congress that day the use of force had “concluded,” while operations continued.
These roll calls are not a declaration of war. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution requires a report to Congress within 48 hours of introducing forces into hostilities, and withdrawal within 60 days unless Congress declares war or passes a specific authorization. Congress can direct removal by concurrent resolution. The Associated Press has described those concurrent resolutions as measures that do not go to the president and are largely political statements.
H.J.Res.176, the “2026 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iran,” was introduced May 7, 2026, by Rep. Tom Barrett and referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. As of its GovInfo listing it had no further action. The bill’s own text states: “Congress has not declared war with respect to, or provided any specific statutory authorization for, hostilities involving United States Armed Forces against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Reuters reported on Sept. 24, 2026, that only one has passed both the House and Senate, and that the White House ignored the result. On June 23 the Senate agreed to H.Con.Res.86, 50–48. Ricketts voted no.
On May 19, 2026, the Senate agreed to discharge S.J.Res.185, 50–47. Ricketts voted no. The next day he told 1011 Now: “So the resolution itself is moot in my opinion.” He also said he believes “the president has the ability to defend us.”
KETV reported on July 8 that the ceasefire had collapsed. After that date he voted no on July 23 (S.J.Res.180, rejected 47–49), July 30 (S.J.Res.181, rejected 49–50), and Sept. 24 (H.Con.Res.89, rejected 49–50).
Through Aug. 1, 2026
$38.1 billion
Defense Department cost from Feb. 28 to Aug. 1, 2026: munitions, lost equipment, extra flying hours, and fuel. Excludes base repair and costs to other agencies.
CBO letter to Rep. Boyle, Sept. 15, 2026 ↗Each month after that
$2–3 billion
CBO’s estimate of additional Defense Department cost: about $2 billion a month at the lower pace of May and June, and about $3 billion a month at July’s pace.
CBO letter to Rep. Boyle, Sept. 15, 2026 ↗Household fuel
$750+
Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab reported that extra U.S. consumer spending on gasoline and diesel passed $100 billion on Sept. 7, 2026, more than $750 per household. That is a consumer cost, not federal spending.
Brown University, Sept. 8, 2026 ↗CBO’s breakdown of the $38.1 billion includes $21.7 billion for munitions ($7.3 billion cruise missiles, $13.1 billion interceptors, $1.2 billion other), $10.4 billion for extra flying hours, $2.7 billion for fuel, and $1.9 billion for lost equipment. CBO says the equipment figure could reach $3.3 billion if the losses are replaced with newer models.
CBO letter to Rep. Boyle, Sept. 15, 2026 ↗Stars and Stripes reported on Sept. 15, 2026, that 18 U.S. service members had been killed, more than 800 wounded, and more than 50,000 U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East. Those are national figures.
Stars and Stripes, Sept. 15, 2026 ↗Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, an Army Reservist with the 103rd Sustainment Command (Des Moines), was killed when an Iranian drone or missile struck an operations center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, around March 1, 2026.
The Daily Nebraskan reported that some National Guard students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln withdrew from classes after being deployed.
Daily Nebraskan ↗Voted no on all 14 Senate roll calls in the table, including May 13, when Ricketts did not vote. KETV reported on July 8 that she did not respond to a request for comment.
His May 6 and July 8 statements to KETV are below. On Sept. 15, 2026, he voted no on H.Con.Res.93, which the House passed 220–204.
“And there may be some Republicans, to include myself, that would, maybe, that are considering voting for that because I think it's the law. And that would compel the president to have to do an authorization to use force... In the end, I want to follow the law.”KETV, May 6, 2026
“We're at the spot where we're going to have to return fire, which means you do need the authorization to use force.”KETV, May 6, 2026
“It's time to play hardball... And so we're going to have to do more military operations.”KETV, July 8, 2026
Statement to KETV, published July 8, 2026. On Sept. 15 he voted no on H.Con.Res.93 (House roll call 307).
“Iran's continued ceasefire violations show they are choosing conflict over peace, and America must respond.”
Statement to KETV, published July 8, 2026. The station’s excerpt begins mid-sentence. On Sept. 15 he voted no on H.Con.Res.93 (House roll call 307).
“...I will continue to encourage them to keep diplomatic channels open in order to bring an end to this conflict and ensure that Iran can never attain a nuclear weapon.”
Ricketts’s independent challenger, at the Nebraska State Fair debate on Sept. 1, 2026.
“We have to give Congress back the power to act as a co-equal branch of government, because only Congress can declare war.”
Sources & Further Reading