Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said he plans to refile a war powers resolution that would require the Trump administration to have congressional approval for any military action against Venezuela.
Speaking to CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Kaine said he believes the “numbers will change,” referring to support for the resolution. The previous resolution on the matter “failed, but that was before all of these assets have amassed around Venezuela, and before President Trump said that the airspace needs to be closed.”
“I will move with colleagues, Senator Schumer, Senator Paul, Senator Schiff, immediately should there be military action,” Kaine stated. “I also attempted to stop what I view as illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific together with Adam Schiff, and the circumstances have changed in the months since we had that vote. In each of these instances, we were able to get two Republicans to vote together with Democrats.”
“We think the escalating pace and some of the recent revelations — so, for example, the recent revelation about the ‘kill everyone’ order, apparently dictated by Secretary Hegseth — we do believe that we will get more support for these motions when they are refiled,” the senator continued.
Kaine’s previous resolution aimed to halt the strikes and require congressional approval for further military action in the region. Kaine argued the Constitution requires debate and authorization before U.S. forces engage in hostilities, American Faith reported.
Kaine introduced a separate war powers resolution in June surrounding the conflict between Israel and Iran. The resolution was intended to “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress,” it read, going on to assert that “Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution.”
