United States Senate, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump faced an unprecedented rebuke from the Republican-controlled Senate late Thursday after lawmakers advanced a war powers resolution aimed at limiting his authority to conduct military operations in or against Venezuela without congressional approval.
The Senate voted 52–47 to move the measure forward, with five Republicans joining all Democrats.
The resolution would require explicit authorization from Congress for continued U.S. military involvement in Venezuela, though it does not prevent immediate defensive actions.
The legislation still faces significant hurdles. It must pass the House of Representatives and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump.
The Senate vote fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a potential presidential veto.
Republican Senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, Susan Collins, and Josh Hawley voted to advance the resolution.
CONCERN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pressed for the vote after Trump confirmed that U.S. forces carried out a large-scale operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Both face U.S. federal charges, including narcotics-related offenses, and have pleaded not guilty.
Kaine warned that Trump had signaled a willingness to deploy U.S. forces in multiple global hotspots without congressional approval. “It is long past time for Congress to reassert its constitutional role in matters of war and peace,” Kaine said.
The White House strongly opposed the resolution. In a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, the administration argued that Maduro’s actions posed a continuing threat to U.S. national security and regional stability.
The memo said Trump’s advisers would recommend a veto if the measure reached his desk.
Trump lashed out at Republicans who supported the resolution, saying in a social media post that the vote “greatly hampers American self-defense” and undermines his authority as commander in chief.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS EXPRESSING DOUBTS
Some Republican senators backing the measure said they supported the initial operation against Maduro but opposed any long-term or expanded military presence without congressional authorization.
“With Maduro captured, the circumstances have changed,” Senator Susan Collins said. “I do not support committing additional U.S. forces or entering into prolonged military involvement without explicit approval from Congress.”
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso urged lawmakers to reject the resolution, warning it would weaken U.S. security and embolden adversaries.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the authority to declare war, while the president serves as commander in chief.
The vote underscores growing bipartisan concern over executive military power after Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela amid worries he could take similar actions against other nations and territories, including Greenland.
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