WASHINGTON, CMC – United States Senate Republicans on Thursday scuttled a war powers resolution that would avert the US President from directly striking Venezuela.
Even as deep concerns escalate about the Trump administration’s continued military strikes in the Caribbean, all but two Republican senators voted to block the war powers resolution, with Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voting with all 47 Democrats. 51 Republican senators blocked the resolution.
In introducing the failed resolution, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, wanted Trump to “terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.”
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California and Paul were among 15 co-sponsors of the resolution.
“Let’s not abdicate the most important power that we have,” said Kaine on the floor of the US Senate before Thursday’s vote. “I would hope that all my colleagues, whatever they think about the virtues and vices of a war against Venezuela, would at least stand strong for the proposition that Congress should have the power, and, indeed, the responsibility, to have a debate and a vote on it before we order our troops to risk their lives.”
Last month, Senate Republicans prohibited the passage of a similar resolution that would stop US military strikes on suspected drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea.
According to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must consult with the US Congress “in every possible instance” before declaring war on any country.
Kaine warned after Thursday’s failed vote that the US Congress “should not cede its power to any president.
“If colleagues believe that a war against the narco-traffickers in the ocean or a war against Venezuela is a good idea, then put an [authorization of military force] on the table and debate and vote on it, but don’t just hand the power over to an executive,” he told reporters.
“That runs against everything that this nation was founded on,” he added.
Kaine later said in a statement that “Trump’s illegal strikes on boats in the Caribbean and threats of land strikes in Venezuela recklessly and unnecessarily put the US at risk of war.
“If the US is going to put our nation’s sons and daughters into harm’s way, then we should have a robust debate in Congress in front of the American people,” he urged.
As it builds up military operations in the Caribbean Sea, off Venezuela, the Trump administration has acknowledged that, since September 2, US military forces have conducted at least 17 strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
The administration conceded that at least 70 people have been killed in the operation.
Just hours after the US Senate resolution vote on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the killing of three “narco-terrorists” in the latest military operation in the Caribbean Sea.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, senior Trump administration officials on Wednesday sought to mollify bipartisan concern about the widening US military operations in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed lawmakers behind closed doors on the operations but faced skepticism.
“There’s nothing that was said that changed my mind that they are making illegal strikes,” said Democratic Congressman Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the Ranking Member of the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee.
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