Crude oil prices surged to their highest levels since May as geopolitical tensions over Iran escalated, with Brent crude climbing 7% to close at $100.69 per barrel and U.S. crude jumping 6.2% to $92.19 per barrel. Earlier in the session, Brent had spiked as high as $102, marking the first time in two months that energy markets have climbed this steeply.
The price spike followed reports that Houthi rebels backed by Tehran struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, a significant escalation that pushed the conflict beyond the Strait of Hormuz for the first time and threatened to choke off critical global energy supplies.
Capitol Hill remained deeply fractured over the war's legitimacy. The House passed a nonbinding resolution calling for an end to hostilities, with four Republicans crossing the aisle to join Democrats. The names: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
The Senate rejected a stronger measure that would have carried the force of law, though it remained subject to presidential veto. Only one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, sided with Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to vote no. Four Republicans abstained entirely: Katie Britt of Alabama, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Democrats pushed both votes to create campaign ammunition against Republicans heading into midterms and to reclaim Congress' constitutional power to declare war. Some Senate Republicans have privately said the conflict should not extend beyond 60 days without legislative approval under federal law, yet many of those same senators voted against today's resolution.
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina argued the 60-day clock began in July when the administration formally labeled the situation a war, not in February when strikes on Iran first commenced. He suggested Congress should eventually legitimize the operation to help the president navigate an unpopular conflict. "The clock is ticking. We got to get serious about that," Tillis said.
A senator nobody knows
Meanwhile, South Carolina's new senator has become a mystery wrapped in her brother's shadow. Darline Graham, 62, was appointed to fill the seat vacated by her brother Lindsey Graham following his death at 71. She had never held elected office, harbored no political profile, and spent three decades in quiet public service roles that generated little attention or controversy.
That anonymity has evaporated. Graham now carries President Trump's endorsement in a special primary election scheduled for next month and is running for a full six-year term. The sudden scrutiny has exposed a political liability: few South Carolina Republicans and virtually no national observers know anything about her stance on major issues or how she would actually vote in the Senate.
Her lack of a voting record and zero experience in electoral politics has bred frustration among some GOP figures both inside and outside the state. News coverage has focused overwhelmingly on her relationship to Lindsey Graham rather than her own positions.
Trump's endorsement has not deterred other Republicans from entering the race. Former Gov. Mark Sanford announced his candidacy, joining a crowded field that also includes Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry and businessman Mark Lynch. The special primary could grow further before the filing deadline next month.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Congress is split on Iran while oil markets scream higher, but the real story is neither party knows how to navigate this without taking political damage."
Comments