Senators vow push to prohibit US military action in Venezuela if Trump pursues strikes against the country
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., have indicated that if President Donald Trump pursues military action against Venezuela, they will seek to prohibit U.S. attacks against the foreign nation.
During a Senate floor speech on Monday, Schumer said he, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., “will immediately file a war powers resolution to force congressional action to block the use of troops in Venezuela” should Trump move to carry out strikes against the South American country.
“Americans do not want a pointless war in Venezuela,” he declared.
During a Monday appearance on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Schumer said, “First, the bill is bipartisan — it’s Rand Paul, Tim Kaine, myself, and I think now, Senator [Adam] Schiff.”
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Schiff is a Democrat from California.
Kaine indicated during a Sunday appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that if the U.S. conducts military action against Venezuela, he will “immediately” move with Schumer, Paul and Schiff.
When asked about U.S. potentially attacking Venezuela directly, the White House instead appeared to reference the War Department’s ongoing campaign striking suspected narco-terror boats in the Caribbean.
“On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to take on the cartels – and he has taken unprecedented action to stop the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of innocent Americans. All of these decisive strikes have been against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores, and the President will continue to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Kaine, Paul and Schiff pushed a joint resolution to prohibit the president from unilaterally attacking Venezuela, but the effort was stymied when all but two Republican Senators — Paul and Sen. Lisa Murkowsk of Alaska — voted against advancing the proposal past a procedural hurdle.
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“Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a), and in accordance with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force,” the proposal stated.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself from an armed attack or threat of an imminent armed attack,” the measure noted.
TRUMP GAVE MADURO ULTIMATUM TO FLEE VENEZUELA AS LAND OPERATIONS LOOM: REPORT
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump suggested that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed.
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“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he declared in the post.
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