Senators will force a vote to prevent war on Venezuela without approval from Congress
Original story by: NPR
Last updated: Oct 17, 2025
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- Context: Senator Tim Kaine is leading a bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate to force a vote that would restrict President Trump's ability to unilaterally declare war on Venezuela. This initiative stems from growing concerns over recent U.S. military actions in the Caribbean and authorized covert operations in Venezuela.
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- Detailed Summary:
- Senator Tim Kaine, along with Senators Adam Schiff and Rand Paul, has introduced a resolution that will compel the Senate to debate and vote on limiting President Trump's war powers regarding Venezuela.
- The resolution comes in response to President Trump's recent announcements of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean against alleged drug boats and authorization of CIA operations in Venezuela, with discussions of potential land operations.
- Kaine expressed urgency, stating that the pace of these actions suggests potential imminence of further military engagement.
- Senator Rand Paul has criticized the U.S. military strikes, warning against setting a precedent for engaging in conflict without proper deliberation or a congressional vote, emphasizing constitutional requirements for war.
- A previous attempt by Kaine and Schiff to limit Trump's war powers in the Caribbean failed, though it garnered support from two Republicans, Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski.
- Supporters of the current resolution hope to gain more Republican backing, noting that several Republicans have previously voted in favor of similar war powers limitation measures led by Kaine.
- There is a lack of transparency from the administration regarding the justification and evidence for the boat strikes, which Kaine and others consider potentially illegal and unconstitutional.
- Since September, the U.S. has conducted at least five strikes on boats, with the administration claiming they were involved in drug smuggling, resulting in at least 27 reported deaths, whose identities have not been released.
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