Senate Blocks Effort to Halt Trump’s War Powers as U.S. Forces Close In on Venezuela

Key Facts

Published: November 7, 2025 Location: Washington D.C. Source: Washington Times, Fox News, Wire Services

• Senate rejects Tim Kaine’s war powers resolution 51–49, with two Republicans voting in favor
• Trump administration defends military strikes on Venezuelan narco-boats as lawful self-defense
• Critics warn of “executions without due process” and risk of escalation into regional conflict
• USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group heading to Caribbean amid speculation of broader campaign

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected a Democratic resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Venezuela, underscoring a deep divide in Washington over the scope of presidential war powers and America’s growing military footprint in the Caribbean.

The vote was razor-thin — 51 to 49 — with two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joining Democrats in support of the measure. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), sought to prohibit the use of U.S. armed forces “for hostilities within or against Venezuela” unless Congress explicitly approved such action.

Kaine, who has long pressed both Democratic and Republican administrations to respect constitutional limits on military authority, warned that the ongoing campaign against Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels represents “an expansion of presidential war powers that has no support in the Constitution.”

“You have to force Congress to look in the mirror and confront the question: are these policies good or bad, am I going to exercise our war power or hand it away?” Kaine said. “We shouldn’t be sending our sons and daughters into harm’s way without a full debate before the American people.”

Republicans largely countered that President Trump’s actions are justified under Article II of the Constitution, which grants him authority as Commander-in-Chief to defend U.S. interests and citizens against external threats.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) defended the strikes, saying, “These aren’t random attacks — they are precision missions against narco-terrorists pumping poison into our communities. President Trump is doing what every president should do: protect American lives.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) accused Democrats of “playing politics with national security,” arguing that the administration’s campaign in the Caribbean is part of a broader effort to stop “state-sponsored narcotics terrorism.”

“The Maduro regime is not a sovereign government — it’s a cartel with a flag,” McConnell said. “When the president targets those who traffic death into our streets, he’s acting squarely within his constitutional authority.”

Since September, the U.S. military has conducted at least 16 strikes on Venezuelan vessels suspected of smuggling cocaine and fentanyl precursors through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, reportedly killing 67 people. Pentagon officials insist the operations are based on verified intelligence linking the boats to the Cartel de los Soles, a network run by elements of Venezuela’s military.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the campaign on X last month, writing: “The U.S. military has spent over two decades defending other homelands. Now we’re defending our own. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda — and they will be treated the same.”

Critics, including Sen. Paul, pushed back sharply. “Executions without due process aren’t justice,” Paul said. “The Coast Guard doesn’t blow up boats off Miami because 25 percent of the time their suspicion is wrong. To kill indiscriminately is akin to summary execution. Even the worst of the worst in our country get due process.”

Meanwhile, tensions are rising across the region. The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is expected to arrive in the Caribbean next week alongside eight warships and one attack submarine, further fueling speculation that Washington could strike deeper inside Venezuela or even move to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro and senior Venezuelan generals stand accused of orchestrating the Cartel de los Soles, a powerful trafficking network believed to export more than 500 tons of cocaine annually to Europe and the United States. The U.S. indicted Maduro in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges and has since raised the reward for his capture to $50 million.

Still, many Republicans insist the president is right to act decisively. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said, “For decades, Venezuela has been a narco-state threatening our hemisphere. President Trump is drawing a line that should have been drawn long ago. Weakness invites aggression — strength deters it.”

Kaine concluded by urging his colleagues to remember that the issue transcends party lines. “I urge you to take this as seriously as you would if the president were a Democrat,” he said. “We should not be going to war without a vote of Congress. The lives of our troops are at stake.”

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