Senate blocks measure to stop military action against Venezuela

The Senate on Thursday evening rejected a Democratic resolution that would have required congressional approval before President Donald Trump could take military action against Venezuela.

The vote was the second time Senate Democrats have tried to rein in Trump's attempts to take out suspected drug-trafficking vessels from Venezuela since the military campaign began. The Senate rejected a different attempt last month.

Two Republican senators broke ranks to vote with Democrats on Thursday in a 51-49 split. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted with Democrats both times. Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman voted with Republicans last month but sided with his party in the latest vote.

The bill's author, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, claimed the attacks on suspected Venezuelan drug boats is an expansion of presidential war powers that "has no support in the Constitution," per Politico. 

“You have to force Congress … to look in the mirror and confront the question of, are these policies good or bad, am I going to exercise our war power or abdicate and hand it away,” Kaine told reporters.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.