Senate rejects resolution blocking military action against Venezuela
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday rejected a measure requiring congressional approval for any military action by President Donald Trump against Venezuela.
The bipartisan resolution failed by a vote of 49 to 51, which required a simple majority to pass. Two Republicans – Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky – joined the 47 Democrats voting in favor of the measure.
Hours after the vote, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced another strike against an alleged drug ship in the Caribbean. The administration has carried out at least 17 such strikes across the region, including in the Eastern Pacific, killing at least 69 people.
Trump indicated last month that he would not seek congressional approval for new military strikes against suspected drug traffickers. Instead, he said, “We’re just going to kill the people who bring drugs into our country.” »
Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, an outspoken critic of administrations of both parties carrying out military strikes without congressional approval, said in a statement Thursday that his no vote “was not an endorsement of the administration’s current policy in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.”
“In terms of policy, I am troubled by many aspects and assumptions of this operation and believe it is at odds with the majority of Americans who want the U.S. military to be less involved in international conflicts,” Young said.
Last month, members of Congress expressed concern that the Trump administration was not sharing information about military strikes. The administration then held a briefing for Republicans but excluded Democrats, drawing criticism from both sides. On Wednesday, some Democratic senators participated in a classified briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth.
A similar resolution relating to strikes in the Caribbean Sea failed in the Senate, 48-51, last month. As in Thursday’s vote, Murkowski and Paul were the only Republicans to support the measure.
