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The U.S Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s military authority following the well-executed special mission to arrest Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
The so-called “War Powers Resolution” – aimed at removing U.S. Armed Forces from or within Venezuela if those military movements have not been approved by Congress – was introduced last year amid the Trump administration’s attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug vessels.
Now, with the rapid-fire capture of Maduro and the expansion of American control over Venezuela’s staggering oil reserves, along with the U.S. military’s increased policing of the Caribbean and Gulf regions, lawmakers are shaking a finger at the president and demanding a halt.
According to the Associated Press, the resolution passed in the Senate on Thursday in a vote of 52-47, with five Republicans joining Democrats to push it through, and is expected to be conclusively passed next week.
However, the resolution is merely symbolic, as President Trump has already publicly condemned the legislation and, therefore, doomed it to a future veto, should it manage to reach his desk.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” the president fired off on Truth Social, just after the resolution vote.
The five Republican senators who voted for the resolution were: Reps. Josh Hawley (Mo.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.), and Todd Young (Ind.).
Rep. Hawley defended his vote, writing on X, “With regard to Venezuela, my read of the Constitution is that if the President feels the need to put boots on the ground there in the future, Congress would need to vote on it. That’s why I voted yes on this morning’s Senate resolution.”
A formal decision to go to war with a country requires congressional authorization, but traditionally, presidents have stretched the boundaries of their authority as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially in situations where quick reaction decisions are necessary.
The 1973 War Powers Resolution made it mandatory for the president to brief Congress on hostilities within 48 hours of military action. It also required congressional approval or termination of military hostilities within a 60-day timeframe.
The new resolution from the U.S. Senate specifically targets the president’s actions against Venezuela, which, arguably, have been quick and effective. It does not appear at this time that the U.S. is really “at war” with Venezuela, although things could always change.
The ongoing U.S. Coast Guard interdictions of alleged drug vessels have taken place in open water. Additionally, the U.S. military operation to extract Maduro lasted only a handful of hours.
“This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” President Trump continued.
He argued that the act was “Unconstitutional” and violated Article II of the U.S. Constitution, “as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me.”
