The Senate on Thursday rejected a resolution to stop President Trump from launching an attack on Venezuela without authorization from Congress.
The resolution, led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), failed to pass the chamber by a vote of 49-51, with just two Republicans, Paul and Lisa Murkowski (AK), supporting the bill.
Ahead of the vote, Trump administration officials were telling lawmakers that they currently didn’t have plans to bomb Venezuela, part of a strategy to discourage Republicans from supporting the War Powers Resolution. According to CNN, during the briefings, Trump officials still didn’t rule out potential future military action.
The Trump officials also said they currently lacked a legal justification to launch strikes on land in Venezuela, but a US official told CNN that the administration is seeking one from the Justice Department and doesn’t plan to ask Congress for authorization, a clear violation of the Constitution, which requires congressional approval for the Executive to launch a war.
President Trump has sent mixed messages on the potential for a war with Venezuela, and according to The Wall Street Journal, he has expressed reservations over the idea of launching strikes on the country. But the massive US military buildup in the Caribbean continues as a US aircraft carrier and its strike group are on their way to the region, and the administration has continued its illegal bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that President Trump is considering potential major escalations that could lead to a full-blown war with Venezuela. They include bombing military targets inside the country, sending special operations forces to kill or capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, or sending a much larger force to capture airfields and oil infrastructure.
