Senate Passes Resolution to Limit Military Action Against Venezuela

The Senate approved a bipartisan resolution on Thursday morning, aiming to restrict President Trump from engaging in military action in Venezuela without Congressional authorization in the future.

With a vote of 52-47, the resolution cleared the necessary 50-vote mark. Only five Republicans supported it: Senators Rand Paul (Kentucky), Josh Hawley (Missouri), Todd Young (Indiana), Susan Collins (Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). The majority of the Republican bloc dismissed calls for Congressional oversight regarding Trump’s military decisions.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Paul were among those who co-sponsored the resolution. All Democratic senators were unified in their support to check the president’s powers.

A final Senate vote on the issue is anticipated next week.

Hawley, who is closely aligned with Trump, expressed that the president’s “yes vote” should be viewed differently, perhaps as against the president’s preferences.

“Looking ahead… if the president thinks it’s essential to send troops to Venezuela, I think Congress should step in,” Hawley told reporters following the vote.

Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, a nontraditional supporter of Trump’s foreign policy, also joined his fellow Democrats in favor of the bill, despite having previously praised military actions against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

For the most part, Republicans—from those in leadership roles to longstanding critics of Trump—have been resistant to limiting the president’s military maneuvers in Venezuela.

“We’re against anything Trump does, regardless of their previous support for Maduro’s removal,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, indicating that he finds the War Powers Resolution unnecessary.

“One doesn’t have to agree with the president’s national security decisions to recognize his constitutional authority to act in accordance with the law, which makes invoking the War Powers Act somewhat tedious and insensitive,” stated Senate Majority Mitch McConnell.

Yet, opposing Republicans insisted that Congressional consent would be essential for any future military operations in Venezuela.

“I think it’s illogical to label something that appears to be a war as a law enforcement matter simply to skip asking Congress for approval,” remarked Senator Rand Paul. “This is a clear breach of the Constitution.”

Collins mentioned on Thursday her support for measures to prevent Trump from using military force, citing uncertainties about his intentions with Venezuela. Trump had informed the New York Times that the U.S. might maintain its influence over Venezuela for years, remarking, “Time will tell.”

“Given his statements about possibly continuing to engage in and ‘manage’ Venezuela in ‘ground combat,’ I believe it’s crucial to invoke the War Powers Act at this juncture, although I’m not fully on board with it,” Collins shared before the vote.

Public opinion appears divided on military involvement in Venezuela, with a CBS News report indicating that 52% of Americans are against such operations aimed at ousting President Maduro.

Previously, a bipartisan bill that would have limited Trump’s ability to attack Venezuela without Congressional approval was rejected in November, with Paul and Murkowski being the only Republicans to diverge from Trump on that occasion.