A bipartisan war-powers measure aimed at restricting President Donald Trump’s authority in Venezuela is expected to reach the Senate floor this week.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote this week on a war-powers resolution intended to block President Donald Trump from continuing or expanding military action against Venezuela, according to lawmakers and congressional aides.
The bipartisan resolution, which will vote this week, is considered privileged under Senate rules, meaning Senate Majority Leader John Thune cannot prevent it from reaching the floor. As a result, the measure is guaranteed a vote regardless of leadership opposition.
The resolution is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen. Adam Schiff. It would require only a simple majority to pass the Senate.
“It is long past time for Congress to reassert its critical constitutional role in matters of war, peace, diplomacy and trade,” Kaine said in a statement. “My bipartisan resolution stipulating that we should not be at war with Venezuela absent a clear congressional authorization will come up for a vote next week.”
“We’ve entered the 250th year of American democracy and cannot allow it to devolve into the tyranny that our founders fought to escape,” Kaine added.
Schumer and other Democrats argue that Trump’s recent military actions against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro risk destabilizing the region. Schiff warned that unilateral action by the president could have far-reaching consequences.
“Acting without Congressional approval or the buy-in of the public, Trump risks plunging a hemisphere into chaos and has broken his promise to end wars instead of starting them,” Schiff said in a statement.
All Senate Democrats, along with Paul, are expected to support the resolution. That would leave the measure three votes short of passage unless additional Republicans cross party lines.
According to Axios, moderate Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, along with populist conservative Sen. Josh Hawley, could potentially support the measure. Hawley has long expressed misgivings about U.S.-led foreign military engagements.
Even if the resolution passes the Senate, it would still need approval from the House of Representatives and the president’s signature to become law. Trump has made clear he would veto any legislation that restricts his authority as commander in chief, and neither chamber is expected to have the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.
As a result, while the vote is likely to serve as a high-profile rebuke of the administration’s actions, it is unlikely to halt U.S. military operations in Venezuela.
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