In a significant bipartisan challenge to presidential authority, a group of U.S. senators from both major parties filed a war powers resolution on Wednesday aimed at blocking any unauthorized military action against Venezuela.
This move comes in direct response to President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that a land campaign against the South American nation would begin “very soon,” escalating an already tense military buildup that has seen over 20 U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels since early September.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine, Chuck Schumer, and Adam Schiff alongside Republican Senator Rand Paul, seeks to assert Congress’s constitutional role in declaring war. It was prompted by Trump’s recent public comments, which the senators argue are dragging the nation toward an unjustified and illegal conflict.
“We are being dragged into a war with Venezuela without legal basis or congressional authorization,” stated Senator Schiff, emphasizing the need to protect American service members from unnecessary risk.
The administration has framed its aggressive posture as part of an effort to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, a claim vehemently denied by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Under Senate rules, the war powers resolution is privileged, forcing a vote within days and placing the issue squarely before the full chamber.
This legislative maneuver represents the latest attempt by Congress to rein in the administration’s military actions against Venezuela, following months of airstrikes that have reportedly killed at least 83 people in international waters.
The bipartisan coalition underscores deepening concerns over the potential for a broader, unauthorized ground war and the precedent it would set for executive overreach in matters of war and peace.
