The Senate voted 52-47 to bring a resolution to the Senate floor that would require President Donald Trump to get Congressional approval before using military action in Venezuela.
Republicans Sens. Susan Collins (ME), Josh Hawley (MO), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Rand Paul (KY), and Todd Young (IN) voted with all 47 Democrats.
I must stress the vote is procedural.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) sponsored the War Powers Resolution last month.
I guess the Democrats pushed the vote since President Donald Trump’s administration captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro!
“Instead of responding to Americans’ concerns about the affordability crisis, President Trump started a war with Venezuela that is profoundly disrespectful to U.S. troops, deeply unpopular, suspiciously secretive, and likely corrupt. How is that ‘America First?’,” claimed Kaine. “Trump’s war is also clearly illegal because this military action was ordered without the congressional authorization the Constitution requires. To my Senate colleagues: enough is enough. You were sent here to have courage and to stand up for your constituents. That means no war without a debate and vote in Congress.”
ACKSHUALLY, no he has not. Didn’t President Joe Biden place a bounty on Maduro’s head? Yes, he did.
That doesn’t matter, though, because Biden is a Democrat.
Look, I know most of you guys don’t like Paul. I do for the most part because he’s consistent, especially regarding war.
“Current congressional leaders squirm and would like to shift the burden of initiating war to the President,” Paul explained. “Less than courageous members of Congress fall all over themselves to avoid taking responsibility, to avoid the momentous vote of declaring war. But make no mistake, bombing another nation’s capital and removing their leader is an act of war plain and simple. No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency.”
He’s not wrong. It applies to both parties.
Kaine, Paul, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a resolution in October.
Again, I’m sure this one brought on other Republicans because of the Maduro capture.
So what happens next?
The vote will likely happen next week.
But will it go anywhere if it passes the Senate? We all know how this works!
The House needs to approve it.
Trump needs to sign it.
Therefore, I doubt it unlikely becomes law.
It’s horrible that we even need war powers resolutions. Trump is the Commander-in-Chief, meaning he directs forces once Congress approves military action.
The military should not be deployed without Congressional approval.
Therefore, if you want to be taken seriously by rational people, you wouldn’t make this resolution only about Venezuela. How about a War Powers resolution that covers all military action?
Oh, wait. We have that. It’s called the Constitution.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY