The United States Senate advanced a war powers resolution on Thursday that would prevent President Donald Trump from deploying U.S. armed forces in hostilities within or against Venezuela without congressional approval, Baltimore Chronicle, via ABC News. The resolution passed narrowly with a vote of 52-47, just above the 51-vote threshold required to move forward.
The legislation, even if ultimately approved by the Senate, must still pass the House of Representatives and be signed by the president. The resolution did not achieve a veto-proof majority, making it unlikely that Trump would sign it into law. Overriding a presidential veto would require two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress.
The vote saw a small number of Republican senators joining all Democrats in supporting the resolution. Senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, Susan Collins, and Josh Hawley cast votes in favor, marking a rare bipartisan alignment on limiting presidential war powers.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for an immediate vote following Trump’s announcement that U.S. forces had carried out a large-scale operation in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Both Maduro and his wife face federal charges, including conspiracy related to narcoterrorism and cocaine importation, and earlier this week they pleaded not guilty.
Kaine criticized Trump’s broader approach to military engagement, highlighting potential actions in Iran, Gaza, Nigeria, Greenland, and the Panama Canal, as well as concerns over domestic protest suppression, emphasizing that presidential military actions should have legal authorization from Congress. He stated that it is “long past time for Congress to reassert its critical constitutional role in matters of war, peace, diplomacy and trade.”
The White House expressed strong opposition to the resolution, according to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget obtained by ABC News. The memo cited the dangers posed by Maduro’s actions, stating they led to incursions into the U.S., destabilization in the Western Hemisphere, widespread human suffering, and a continuing threat to national security. The memo further indicated that presidential advisors would recommend a veto if the resolution reached the White House.
Following the Senate vote, Trump publicly criticized the GOP senators who supported the measure, calling on them to be “ashamed” and suggesting they should “never be elected to office again.” He argued the vote undermined American self-defense and national security while limiting the president’s authority as commander in chief.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the authority to declare war, while the president serves as commander in chief of the armed forces. Trump’s operation in Venezuela aligns with a historical pattern of presidents occasionally taking military action without prior congressional authorization. The administration described the strike as a law enforcement operation supported by the military, and Trump stated that the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela but would “run” the country for an unspecified period.
Republican senators who voted in favor emphasized their support for the initial Maduro operation but opposed further military action without congressional approval. Senator Susan Collins explained that while the operation to capture Maduro was extraordinary, committing additional U.S. forces or engaging in long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland should require explicit congressional authorization.
Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso urged senators to reject the resolution, warning that it would weaken presidential authority and compromise national security. Barrasso framed the vote as a test of whether the president has constitutional authority to enforce the law against indicted criminals, cautioning that supporting the resolution would send the wrong signal to drug traffickers and dictators.
Earlier we wrote that Ukraine’s Allies Push for Binding Security Guarantees Amid Ongoing Russian Threats.
