Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate is set to consider a resolution on Thursday that would block President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization, and supporters said the measure could pass a closed vote.
Days after U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic military raid in Caracas, senators will vote on the latest in a series of measures introduced since the administration stepped up military pressure on the country with attacks on boats off its coast in September.
Republicans blocked the entire measure, but the final vote was just 49 to 51 as two senators from Trump's party joined Democrats in supporting the resolution in November. Administration officials told lawmakers at the time that they were not planning regime change or strikes inside Venezuela.
Since Maduro's capture, some lawmakers have accused the administration of misleading Congress, including Democrats publicly and some Republicans behind the scenes.
“I spoke with at least two Republicans today who have not previously voted for this resolution and who are thinking about it,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who co-sponsored the resolution, said at a news conference before the vote.
“I can't guarantee you how they will vote, but at least two are thinking about it, and some of them are publicly talking about their concerns about it,” Paul said, speaking alongside Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, another leader of the resolution.
He did not name Republicans. Trump's party has a majority in the Senate (53–47 seats).
OBSTACLES AHEAD
Passage by the Senate would be a significant victory for lawmakers pushing the war powers issue.
But to become law, the resolution must pass the Republican-led House and survive an expected Trump veto, which would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Lawmakers acknowledged the obstacles but said some Republicans may fear a long and costly campaign for regime change in Venezuela. Trump on Wednesday said on his Truth Social website that he wants the US military budget to increase from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion.
Kane noted that U.S. troops have been targeting Venezuelan shipping for months and referred to Trump's announcement that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela and the confiscation of Venezuelan oil, saying, “This is by no means a surgical seizure.”
The US Constitution requires any president to obtain congressional approval before launching a long-term military operation.
Senators opposing the war powers resolution say Maduro's capture is a law enforcement operation, not a military action. Maduro faces trial in US court on drug and weapons charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. They also say Trump “has the authority as commander in chief to initiate limited military actions that he determines are necessary for national security.”
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee and Diane Craft)
