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By Mandy Taheri
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A bipartisan trio of senators led by Senator Tim Kaine, and including Senators Adam Schiff and Rand Paul, introduced a joint resolution to bar President Donald Trump from taking military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization.
Newsweek has reached out to Senators Kaine, Schiff, and Paul for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The measure comes as U.S.-Venezuelan tensions are rising, with Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s top envoy to the United Nations, calling the U.S. a “killer prowling the Caribbean, bloodthirsty, looking for wars.” He formally petitioned the Security Council to declare U.S. military operations near Venezuelan waters illegal and to issue a statement upholding the nation’s sovereignty.
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The U.S. has carried out several strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the area since early September, having killed at least 27 people, according to the administration.
Trump has moved significant U.S. military assets, including eight warships, about 10,000 troops, a nuclear-power submarine and fighter jets, to the southern Caribbean, close to Venezuela. Earlier this week, the president confirmed he authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
The resolution will force a vote on the matter within 10 days and comes as the government has been shut down for weeks and Republicans very rarely break with the president.
What To Know
The senators' joint resolution seeks to “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.”
Congress holds the sole authority to declare war under Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution. In addition, the War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973, limits the president’s ability to commit U.S. forces to military action without congressional approval.
In an X post on Friday, Paul, a Kentucky Republican, wrote: “It’s imperative that we make it clear that war powers reside with Congress, not the president.”
Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, reiterated similar sentiments, writing on X, "I’m extremely troubled that the Administration is considering launching illegal military strikes inside Venezuela @SenRandPaul, @SenAdamSchiff, and I are forcing a vote on a War Powers Resolution to stop Trump from dragging us into an unauthorized war."
The joint resolution was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations on October 16. It comes shortly after Trump told reporters on Wednesday, “We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control.”
The senators note that Trump’s public announcement of CIA operations in the country as well as “statements from United States Government officials regarding planning for ground strikes” in Venezuela “indicate imminent involvement of United States Armed Forces in hostilities within or against Venezuela.”
They argue that the question of U.S. forces engagement in Venezuela should come after Congress has been briefed, publicly debate the issue, and vote on the matter. The senators also note that the resolution does not “prevent the United States from defending itself from an armed attack or threat of an imminent armed attack.”
Last week, a similar vote on a War Powers Resolution failed 48-51, with bipartisan support from Senator Paul and Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican. Paul has at times broken with the Republican Party, and on Friday, Trump took to Truth Social to call him out, writing, “He was never great, but he went really BAD!”
The post continued: “He’s a nasty liddle’ guy…a sick Wacko, who refuses to vote for our great Republican Party, MAGA, or America First. It’s really weird!!!
On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Admiral Alvin Holsey, who oversaw U.S. Southern Command, is retiring one year into his role.
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What People Are Saying
Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said in a statement: “If my colleagues disagree and think a war with Venezuela is a good idea, they need to meet their constitutional obligations by making their case to the American people and passing an Authorization for Use of Military Force. I urge every senator to join us in stopping this Administration from dragging our country into an unauthorized and escalating military conflict.”
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement: “The American people do not want to be dragged into endless war with Venezuela without public debate or a vote. We ought to defend what the Constitution demands: deliberation before war.”
Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said in an X post on Friday: “Congress has not authorized military force against Venezuela. But the Trump administration has made it clear they may not stop at boat strikes in the Caribbean. We must stop the United States from being dragged–intentionally or accidentally–into full-fledged war in South America.”
What Happens Next?
Senators are expected to vote on the joint resolution soon.
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