MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US Senate rejects resolution to curb Trump’s military actions in Venezuela

The proposal, drafted by Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, and Republican Rand Paul, aimed to reaffirm Congress’s authority as the only body empowered to declare war

The US Senate, controlled by Republicans, rejected on Thursday a bipartisan resolution that sought to block President Donald Trump from launching military operations in Venezuela without congressional approval. The measure was defeated 51 to 49, with only two Republican senators siding with Democrats.

The proposal, drafted by Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, and Republican Rand Paul, aimed to reaffirm Congress’s authority as the only body empowered to declare war. It was the second failed attempt to limit the president’s ability to act unilaterally after a similar vote in October.

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The vote came a day after senior administration officials told lawmakers that the US government “currently lacks legal justification” for striking targets inside Venezuela. The admission was made during a classified briefing led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—the first joint session they have held with legislators regarding Washington’s campaign of military strikes on alleged “narco-boats” in the Caribbean.

Democratic Representative Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said afterward that “the administration doesn’t want to go to war with Venezuela,” but warned that Trump “is famous for his chaotic way of doing things. He can change his mind very quickly.”

Since September 2, US strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific have reportedly killed at least 66 people, according to media and military sources. Experts and lawmakers question the legality of these operations, noting that Congress has not authorized them.

Meanwhile, the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the US fleet, is heading to the Caribbean to reinforce a deployment of over 10,000 troops already stationed in international waters off Venezuela’s coast. “President Trump has been clear: we will continue targeting narcoterrorists trafficking illicit drugs,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.