Senate Votes to Limit Trump's Military Action in Venezuela Amid Controversy Over Raid
In a significant rebuke of President Donald Trump, the US Senate has advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution aimed at preventing him from taking further military action against Venezuela. The measure passed with 52 senators in favor and 47 opposed, securing a crucial victory for Democrats but also sparking criticism from the president.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, requires Trump to seek permission before attacking or using the military against Venezuela. The move comes after Trump ordered a weekend raid to capture President Nicolás Maduro without giving Congress advance notice, prompting outrage among lawmakers and many Republicans.
Trump responded by labeling the war powers resolution "unconstitutional" and calling Republican senators who supported it "should never be elected to office again." He claimed that the measure would hinder America's self-defense and national security, arguing that the president's authority as Commander in Chief was being undermined.
However, 10 Republican senators, including Rand Paul, Todd Young, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Susan Collins, defied Trump's criticism by voting for the resolution. They argued that Congress must assert its authority over waging war to prevent impulsive actions that could lead to prolonged conflicts.
Kaine hailed the victory as a testament to an "instinctive wisdom among the American people" that prioritizes war as a last resort. The resolution is the latest attempt by Congress's Democratic minority to halt Trump's campaign against Venezuela, which has intensified in recent months with airstrikes on boats off the country's coast and raids targeting Maduro.
Experts have disputed Trump's claim that the vessels carrying drugs were targeted, and controversy surrounded the killing of two survivors during a strike rather than taking them captive. Previous war powers resolutions proposed in both chambers failed to gain sufficient support from Republican lawmakers, but this latest attempt marked a significant shift in their stance.
The resolution now needs to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump to take effect. If successful, it would mark a major rebuke of the president's actions and reinforce Congress's role as guardian of national security interests.
In a significant rebuke of President Donald Trump, the US Senate has advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution aimed at preventing him from taking further military action against Venezuela. The measure passed with 52 senators in favor and 47 opposed, securing a crucial victory for Democrats but also sparking criticism from the president.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, requires Trump to seek permission before attacking or using the military against Venezuela. The move comes after Trump ordered a weekend raid to capture President Nicolás Maduro without giving Congress advance notice, prompting outrage among lawmakers and many Republicans.
Trump responded by labeling the war powers resolution "unconstitutional" and calling Republican senators who supported it "should never be elected to office again." He claimed that the measure would hinder America's self-defense and national security, arguing that the president's authority as Commander in Chief was being undermined.
However, 10 Republican senators, including Rand Paul, Todd Young, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Susan Collins, defied Trump's criticism by voting for the resolution. They argued that Congress must assert its authority over waging war to prevent impulsive actions that could lead to prolonged conflicts.
Kaine hailed the victory as a testament to an "instinctive wisdom among the American people" that prioritizes war as a last resort. The resolution is the latest attempt by Congress's Democratic minority to halt Trump's campaign against Venezuela, which has intensified in recent months with airstrikes on boats off the country's coast and raids targeting Maduro.
Experts have disputed Trump's claim that the vessels carrying drugs were targeted, and controversy surrounded the killing of two survivors during a strike rather than taking them captive. Previous war powers resolutions proposed in both chambers failed to gain sufficient support from Republican lawmakers, but this latest attempt marked a significant shift in their stance.
The resolution now needs to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump to take effect. If successful, it would mark a major rebuke of the president's actions and reinforce Congress's role as guardian of national security interests.
so trump thinks he can just go around doing whatever he wants in venezuela and no one can stop him? that's like, not how it works fam 
anyway i'm kinda glad the senate stepped in and put a stop to this. it's about time congress took its role seriously when it comes to declaring war 
i mean trump's got some nerve saying the resolution is "unconstitutional" but like, isn't that just him being petulant? 
anyhoo, 10 republican senators who are literally not afraid of trump? 
that's what i call a major win for sanity 
... I mean, they're not going against Trump directly or anything, but still, it's a pretty big deal for them to defy the prez on something like this 
. I get where they're coming from - we don't wanna be in some super-long and costly war without even thinking about it first 
. But at the same time, Trump is the one who started this whole Venezuela thing, so yeah, someone's gotta call him out 
. It's not like he's going to magically change his mind or anything, but still, I guess it's good that there are some Republicans who care about Congress having a say in these big decisions 
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And now he's trying to blame the Democrats for being "anti-American"? Give me a break, dude! 
The fact that 10 Republican senators actually voted with the Democrats is huge, btw. It shows that even some Republicans are starting to see Trump's actions for what they are: reckless and irresponsible. 
. The fact that 10 Republican senators are willing to stand up to Trump on this war powers resolution shows that not everyone is buying his narrative on this issue 
. It's all about checks and balances, folks! The Senate's vote serves as a reminder that even in times of crisis, our democracy relies on the ability of Congress to hold the executive branch accountable 
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. Will he try to veto it? That would be a major headache for the House, and potentially force them to override it 
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. It raises questions about the role of Congress in shaping our national security strategy and whether Trump's unilateral actions are truly necessary or just a reflection of his impulsiveness 
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There are better ways to address the situation than resorting to military action. The fact that the Senate voted 52-47 is a good sign that they're getting back to some sense of normalcy after all the crazy stuff that went down during Obama's presidency 
i don't know what's more wild though - the fact that congress is trying to limit trump's military action or that rand paul actually voted in favor of this resolution lol what's next? 
and i'm so here 4 them. this is actually a good thing 4 america 2 see more sensible leadership from congress. fingers crossed they get it thru & make some real change 
. anyway, one step forward for sanity and one step back for trump's ego 
10 republicans actually stood up to him tho which is pretty cool 
anyway, think this is a big deal for congress asserting its authority on foreign policy. but what's the real motive here? is it just about stopping trump or is there more to it? 
... what's next? just because congress says we gotta check in before war? doesn't sound like much of a safeguard if you ask me...
. Also, what's the definition of "self-defense" here? The US is a global superpower, it can't just go around bombing countries without a care in the world 
. I mean, what exactly is the harm in giving Congress some advance notice before launching military action? It's not like we're talking about starting a nuclear war or anything 
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rand paul and susan collins were among them.