Senate Republicans block bill to limit Donald Trump’s power to attack Venezuela

Senate Republicans on Thursday voted to reject a legislation that would have put a check on US President Donald Trumps ability to launch an attack against Venezuela as Democrats pressed Congress to take a stronger role in Trumps highstakes campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas MaduroLawmakers including top Republicans have demanded that the Trump administration provide them with more information on the US military strikes against alleged drugsmuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean But Thursdays vote which would essentially forestall an attack on Venezuelan soil by first requiring congressional authorisation showed the lengths of GOP senators willingness to allow the Trump administration to continue its buildup of naval forces in the regionPresident Trump has taken decisive action to protect thousands of Americans from lethal narcotics Senator Jim Risch the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said The legislation had virtually no chance of being enacted in part because it would need to be signed by Trump himself but it still allowed Democrats to press their GOP colleagues on Trumps threats against Venezuela The legislation failed to advance 4951We should not be going to war without a vote of Congress The lives of our troops are at stake Senator Tim Kaine a Virginia Democrat who pushed the legislation said in a floor speech US naval forces are building an unusually large force including its most advanced aircraft carrier in the Caribbean Sea leading many to the conclusion that Trumps intentions go beyond just intercepting cocainerunning boatsIts really an open secret that this is much more about potential regime change Senator Adam Schiff a California Democrat who pushed the resolution said If thats where the administration is headed if thats what were risking involvement in a war then Congress needs to be heard on thisThe push for congressional oversightAs the Trump administration has reconfigured US priorities overseas there has been a growing sense of frustration among lawmakers including some Republicans who are concerned about recent moves made by the Pentagon At a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier on Thursday Senator Roger Wicker the Republican chair said that many senators have serious concerns about the Pentagons policy office and that Congress was not being consulted on recent actions like putting a pause on Ukraine security assistance reducing the number of US troops in Romania and the formulation of the National Defence StrategyGOP senators have directed their ire at the Department of Defences policy office which is led by Elbridge Colby an official who has advocated for the US to step down its involvement in international alliances It just seems like theres this pigpenlike mess coming out of the policy shop said Senator Tom Cotton an Arkansas Republican who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee during another armed services hearing earlier this weekAs pushback has mounted on Capitol Hill the Trump administration has stepped up its briefings on the campaign in the Caribbean including sending both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to a classified briefing Wednesday for congressional leaders on the strikes against vesselsThe officials gave details on the intelligence that is used to target the boats and allowed senators to review the legal rationale for the attacks but did not discuss whether they would launch an attack directly against Venezuela according to lawmakers in the meeting Still Democrats joined by Republican Senator Rand Paul have pushed into the unease among Republicans by forcing a vote on the potential for an attack on Venezuela under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 which was intended to reassert congressional power over the declaration of warA previous war powers vote pertaining to the strikes against boats in international waters failed last month on a 4851 vote but Kaine said he was hoping to peel off more Republicans with a resolution that only pertains to attacks on VenezuelaSome Republicans uneasy with Caribbean campaignThe Republican leadership was pressing on Thursday to make sure the legislation failed and many GOP senators expressed support for Trumps campaign which has killed at least 66 people in 16 known strikes Senator Lindsey Graham a South Carolina Republican who is a Trump ally argued in a floor speech that the War Powers Act gave lawmakers too much power over military decisions and that Congress has other means to check the presidents decisionsI like the idea that our commanderinchief is telling narcoterrorist organisations youre not only a foreign terrorist organisation but when you engage in threats to our country a boat headed to America full of drugs were going to take you out Graham saidBut there were still several senators carefully considering their vote Just hours before the vote Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she had carefully read over the Trump administrations secret legal opinion on the strikes but had not reached a decision It remains a difficult decision she said Senator Thom Tillis a North Carolina Republican said he would vote against the resolution but added that he has had his doubts about the campaignThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever