US Senate Passes War Powers Resolution to Block Trump from Taking Further Military Action Against Venezuela
The US Senate advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution on Thursday, aiming to prevent President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela. The measure passed with 52 senators in favor and 47 opposed, as all Democrats and several Republicans voted in support.
The resolution was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who argued that the president should seek permission before using military force against Venezuela. Following a weekend raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's location, Trump claimed he did not inform lawmakers beforehand due to "leaks" from Congress.
However, Democrats and some Republicans strongly criticized the move, arguing it was illegal and risked plunging the US into a prolonged conflict. The resolution aims to prevent such actions, which they say should be subject to Congressional approval.
The vote comes after Trump approved airstrikes on boats off Venezuela's coast in September, resulting in at least 110 deaths. Experts have disputed his claim that the vessels were carrying fentanyl to US shores. The military also killed two survivors of a strike rather than taking them captive, sparking controversy.
Previous war powers resolutions proposed in both chambers had failed narrowly due to Republican opposition. However, several high-ranking Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Johnson and Senator Rand Paul, praised Trump's strikes on Venezuela as effective uses of US power.
The measure now requires approval from the House of Representatives and signature from Trump to become law. Kaine expects lawmakers to introduce additional war powers resolutions targeting other countries Trump has struck or threatened in the past year.
"This world is safer because Maduro is apprehended in the hands of the US justice system," Johnson said, praising Trump's actions. However, Democratic congressman Jim McGovern countered that "Congress is in charge" and that putting American troops in harm's way should be subject to Congressional approval.
The resolution marks a significant development in the ongoing US-Venezuela crisis, with the Senate now having sent a clear message against unilateral military action by the President.
The US Senate advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution on Thursday, aiming to prevent President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela. The measure passed with 52 senators in favor and 47 opposed, as all Democrats and several Republicans voted in support.
The resolution was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who argued that the president should seek permission before using military force against Venezuela. Following a weekend raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's location, Trump claimed he did not inform lawmakers beforehand due to "leaks" from Congress.
However, Democrats and some Republicans strongly criticized the move, arguing it was illegal and risked plunging the US into a prolonged conflict. The resolution aims to prevent such actions, which they say should be subject to Congressional approval.
The vote comes after Trump approved airstrikes on boats off Venezuela's coast in September, resulting in at least 110 deaths. Experts have disputed his claim that the vessels were carrying fentanyl to US shores. The military also killed two survivors of a strike rather than taking them captive, sparking controversy.
Previous war powers resolutions proposed in both chambers had failed narrowly due to Republican opposition. However, several high-ranking Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Johnson and Senator Rand Paul, praised Trump's strikes on Venezuela as effective uses of US power.
The measure now requires approval from the House of Representatives and signature from Trump to become law. Kaine expects lawmakers to introduce additional war powers resolutions targeting other countries Trump has struck or threatened in the past year.
"This world is safer because Maduro is apprehended in the hands of the US justice system," Johnson said, praising Trump's actions. However, Democratic congressman Jim McGovern countered that "Congress is in charge" and that putting American troops in harm's way should be subject to Congressional approval.
The resolution marks a significant development in the ongoing US-Venezuela crisis, with the Senate now having sent a clear message against unilateral military action by the President.
that the Senate is trying to pass this war powers resolution at all. I mean, come on, Trump's been pretty clear about his intentions - he wants to take down Maduro and if Congress doesn't get out of the way, then so be it 
. And honestly, who are we to dictate how the President should run foreign policy? It's a classic case of Congress trying to micromanage instead of trusting their elected leaders 
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. If Trump really wanted to bring him in, then why didn't he do it through diplomatic channels? This whole thing reeks of a covert op gone wrong 
. And let's not forget that those airstrikes in September were actually kinda justified - I mean, who knows what kind of activity was going on on those boats? 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this Trump guy and his love for Venezuela... I mean, come on 110 deaths from airstrikes? That's crazy! 
And what's up with all these war powers resolutions? Can't we just have a peaceful resolution or something? 
I don't get why the US is so invested in Venezuela. We should focus on our own problems at home, like climate change and poverty. 
. I'm all for taking down Maduro, but not at the cost of potentially dragging us into another messy conflict. And what's with the whole "leaks from Congress" excuse? Sounds like a bunch of bull to me 
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I just can't help but feel like we're walking into more trouble over there 
. Congress needs to be in charge of our military actions, not the President making them up on the fly 
. And what about those two innocent people who got killed in that strike? 
It's not just about Maduro, it's about our own troops and the consequences of their actions 
. We need to have some real dialogue and planning before we send in the military again 
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I mean, what even is the logic behind this? He's essentially saying that he can just do whatever he wants without Congress knowing or agreeing to it 
It's like, we've been trying to rein in Trump's authoritarian tendencies for years and now that some of his own party members are starting to see sense, something changes 
. But it's not just about Trump or Republicans - this is a whole mess of a situation that affects everyone.
It's like we're constantly trying to be a superpower and assert our dominance over other countries, but at what cost? Our troops are risking their lives for some politician's ego or personal vendetta 
Fingers crossed that we can actually get some sanity into our foreign policy from now on 
. And what's with him not informing lawmakers beforehand? That just doesn't sound like transparency to me 
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. I'm all for strong leaders, but not when it comes at the cost of our national security and international relations 
, even if there are still some Republicans who think Trump was right to go after Maduro 
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His own party's against him on this one though, and you've got all these good people like Kaine who are trying to do something about it. 
. I mean, we've seen how that airstrikes thing turned out – at least 110 people died and some were killed by their own country's military 
. I get why they want to keep him in check, but can't we just figure things out peacefully? 
, with even several high-ranking Republicans now backing the idea of Congressional approval before taking military action. I wonder how long this newfound consensus will last 
. Ultimately, it'll be fascinating to see how this plays out in the House and whether Trump will sign off on it 
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Trump's actions towards Venezuela are so unpredictable and I don't know if he's even thinking about the consequences... 110 deaths from airstrikes? that's a lot of lives lost for no real reason 
. Trump's actions towards Venezuela have been super concerning, and it's not just about Maduro - it's about putting American lives at risk 
. Fingers crossed it gets passed in the House and signed by Trump ASAP! 
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. It's a tricky situation, for sure 
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Trump's actions are getting more suspicious by the minute 
. That way we can make sure we're not putting our own troops in harm's way unnecessarily