A U.S. Marine with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225 gives directions as an F-35B Lightning II taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport, Puerto Rico, Oct. 6, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission. (Michael Gavin/U.S. Marine Corps)
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators is planning to force a vote on a resolution to block President Trump from carrying out hostilities against Venezuela without the explicit approval of Congress.
The measure, from Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., is the latest attempt by senators to reassert congressional war powers amid the Trump administration’s escalating military campaign against Venezuela.
The U.S. struck another alleged Venezuelan drug cartel boat on Thursday, and Trump this week confirmed he had authorized covert CIA actions in Venezuela and might consider ground military operations, accusing the country of flooding the U.S. with criminals and drugs.
Kaine and Schiff led efforts last week to prevent further boat strikes without congressional authorization, but the Senate failed to advance the measure in a 51-48 vote. Paul and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans to vote in support.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., a vocal war powers advocate, said he opposed the resolution because it was too broad but expressed concern about the legality of recent strikes in the Caribbean and the “trajectory of military operations without congressional approval or debate and the support of the American people.”
The latest resolution would direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities “within or against” Venezuela and prevent Trump from taking any military action against the country without a declaration of war or specific authorization from Congress.
The Trump administration has carried out at least six strikes on boats off the coast of Venezuela since last month, killing 27 people. The administration has invoked the president’s constitutional power as commander-in-chief to justify the attacks and said a flow of migrants and drugs out of Venezuela constituted an imminent threat to the U.S.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but presidents from both parties have claimed broad powers to sidestep lawmakers and carry out military operations across the world, particularly in the Middle East.
“It’s imperative that we make it clear that war powers reside with Congress, not the president,” Paul wrote on X on Friday.
Lawmakers are increasingly worried the Trump administration’s military buildup in the Caribbean could lead to all-out war. The Navy has moved eight surface warships and a submarine to the region, and the Pentagon has deployed 10,000 troops, mostly to bases in Puerto Rico.
Fears of an escalating conflict intensified Thursday when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the resignation of Adm. Alvin Holsey, the commander of U.S. operations in Central and South America. Holsey will retire a year into what is typically a three-year job.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, described Holsey’s unexpected and premature departure as “troubling” at a moment when tensions with Venezuela are at a boiling point.
“Any operation to intervene militarily in Venezuela — especially without congressional authorization — would be unwise and dangerous,” he said.
