A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced a War Powers Resolution aimed at blocking President Trump from launching a war with Venezuela without congressional authorization.
The bill was introduced by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), who sponsored the previous resolution, and this time they were joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). According to a press release from Kaine’s office, the new War Powers Resolution is privileged and may be called up for a vote on the Senate floor within 10 days.
The first bill failed last month in a vote of 49-51, with just two Republicans, Paul and Lisa Murkowski (AK), supporting it. Kaine has said he expects the legislation to receive more support now that the US has deployed more military assets near Venezuela and due to the controversy over the September 2 bombing of an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela that involved a second strike to kill survivors.
“We should not be risking the lives of our nation’s servicemembers to engage in military action within Venezuela without a robust debate in Congress. This is why the Framers gave the power to declare war to Congress, not the President,” Kaine said in a statement on the new bill.
Paul said that 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.”
A War Powers Resolution to block an attack on Venezuela has also been introduced in the House, as Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Joaquin Castro (D-TX) have been joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) in co-sponsoring the bill.
“The Constitution does not permit the executive branch to unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that hasn’t attacked the United States,” Massie said in a statement. “Congress has the sole power to declare war against Venezuela. Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.”
