A permission Requiring congressional approval for future military operations in Venezuela narrowly passed a key test vote in the Senate on Thursday, just five days after President Donald Trump sent forces to seize and overthrow President Nicolas Maduro without first informing Congress. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the measure, a major rebuke of the administration.
The resolution, sponsored by Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, was the Senate's second attempt to rein in the Trump administration's pushback against Venezuela, including airstrikes on suspected drug vessels. It is now preparing for a final vote expected next week. A similar resolution was rejected by the House of Representatives last month; House Democrats reintroduced this measure on Thursday.
The vote remains essentially symbolic since President Trump has already done so. vowed to veto measure if it reaches his desk. While some GOP lawmakers expressed concerns about the administration's Venezuela policy and many sharply rejected the idea that the United States should seize Greenland, Thursday's vote largely followed party lines.
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The measure, which requires congressional approval for future military operations, is essentially symbolic. However, it hints at new resistance from the GOP-controlled legislature to the Trump administration.
Still, the Senate action hints at new resistance from the GOP-controlled legislature, which has so far largely greenlighted Trump's expansionist presidency. Republicans have avoided confrontation with Mr. Trump even as Congress' powers to manage the finances have been undermined, while Democrats have limited their recourse for aid.
But this week the House, where an already slim Republican majority has shrunk following the departure of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, advanced a Democratic measure to expand health insurance subsidies after some centrist Republicans joined Democrats in signing a dismissal petition to force a vote. The measure passed the House on Thursday with the support of 17 Republicans. The House also voted Thursday to override President Trump's veto of the Colorado water bill, which passed both chambers unanimously. The measure fell short of the required two-thirds majority but received support from 35 Republicans.
Mr. Trump responded to Thursday's war powers vote with a strongly worded statement on social media, saying the five GOP senators who voted with Democrats “should never be elected to office again.” The president said the move would undermine national security.
Congressional wariness about controlling the administration's war efforts predates Trump. Previous administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have used force without the approval of lawmakers, says Sarah Burns, a political scientist at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Expert on the War Powers Resolution 1973.
The legislation has become the focus of lawmakers seeking to rein in the administration. This was the basis for Senator Kaine's resolution. and for Democrats to criticize the Trump administration more broadly for failing to consult with Congress ahead of the Jan. 1 military operation in Venezuela.
Many Republicans argue that the War Powers Act does not apply in this case. “This is not a war. This is a law enforcement operation to arrest someone on a warrant issued by a federal court,” says Senator John Cornyn of Texas, referring to charges brought against Mr. Maduro for alleged drug trafficking. The ousted leader pleaded not guilty in a New York court on Tuesday.
John Kennedy, the GOP senator from Louisiana, characterized Thursday's resolution as an overreach. “I have a lot of respect for Tim. [Kaine]but I think this is an attempt to derail the administration’s plans to arrest criminals in South America,” he says.
Democrats say Congress should be involved in the use of U.S. military power around the world and that Thursday's vote was an important step toward restoring that role. “This will tell the president that he can't just invade any country he wants without permission from Congress,” says Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
According to Article 1 of the Constitution, Congress has the power to “declare war” and “raise and support armies.” But the language reflects 18th-century military statesmanship, when rulers had to levy taxes to raise armies and military operations were largely carried out by the state.
Since then, the United States has used military force abroad hundreds of times, but has declared war only five times. According to John Yoo, a conservative legal scholar who served in the second Bush administration. “The history of American military conflict is remarkable for the absence, not the presence, of congressional declarations of war,” he writes.
Congress has the power to make appropriations to determine military deployments, but often shies away from actually using them, Professor Burns said. “Instead we see [legislators] they go on talk shows and write memos and newspaper articles saying the president has overstepped his authority, rather than reasserting his authority… reasserting himself in the realm of foreign policy and the realm of war,” she says.
Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, proposed an amendment to the defense appropriations bill At issue is the use of force in Greenland, an autonomous region ruled by NATO ally Denmark. This will prevent funds from being used to prepare for or conduct military operations in Greenland.
The last time Congress made a comprehensive attempt to limit the president's war powers was in 2021. A bipartisan group of senators—Republican Mike Lee of Utah, Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut— approved a bill that would require administrationso seek explicit congressional approval for all military operations. The bill would also automatically cut off funding if its standards were not met.
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Editor's note: This story was updated Thursday evening to include the latest House votes.
