War Powers Resolution blocked by Senate’s 50-50 Vote!
Washington, Jan 14 (EFE).-
The United States Senate on Wednesday blocked a bipartisan war powers resolution that sought to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to carry out further military action in Venezuela without prior congressional approval, underscoring ongoing tensions in Washington over presidential war authority.
Senate Republicans successfully halted the measure, arguing it was unnecessary because the administration’s military actions in Venezuela had ended, lawmakers said during the session. The procedural move to dismiss the resolution passed 51-50, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
The resolution had initially advanced last week with bipartisan support, including five Republican senators joining all Democrats to back continued consideration. In the final vote, only three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky — again opposed dismissing the bill and voted with Democrats.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia and one of the sponsors, argued the resolution was necessary because a recent U.S. military raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro had raised concerns about unchecked executive military power.
Critics contended that continued U.S. naval operations and threats of expanded military action met the threshold of “hostilities” under the War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional authorization for prolonged military commitments.
Supporters of the administration maintained that the Maduro raid was a law enforcement action, not a traditional military operation, and that no U.S. troops were currently deployed on Venezuelan soil — a point emphasized by some Republican lawmakers who switched their votes after assurances from the Trump administration.
Despite the Senate’s rejection of the resolution, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have signaled continued debate over the constitutional balance of war powers, with Democrats pledging to keep pushing for legislative checks on presidential authority for future military actions. EFE
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