Washington — A war powers resolution in the Senate to limit President Trump’s ability to further strike Venezuela appears to be at risk as the White House puts pressure on a handful of GOP senators who supported it.
Republicans could use a procedural maneuver to block the measure, arguing that the resolution should no longer be “privileged” — which gives it priority on the floor — because the U.S. is not currently engaged in “hostilities” with Venezuela.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, previewed the argument in floor remarks Wednesday morning.
“Today, we expect a vote on a resolution to direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela, even though the U.S. is not currently engaged in hostilities in or against Venezuela,” Thune said. “We have no troops on the ground in Venezuela. We’re not currently conducting military operations there.”
Senators advanced a resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia last week after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife and Mr. Trump asserted the U.S. is now in charge of the country.
Five Republicans joined all Democrats in support of the measure, pushing it forward after two previous failed attempts in the upper chamber to advance similar resolutions to rein in Mr. Trump’s military action in the region.
The GOP senators who voted with Democrats to advance the measure were Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Mr. Trump quickly lashed out at the Republicans, saying they “should never be elected to office again.” He again criticized the senators on Tuesday during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, calling them “real losers.”
Some of the senators said they received calls from Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of Wednesday’s expected floor action.
“I’m not speaking to final passage,” Young told reporters Tuesday. “I’m certainly glad the president and his team gave me a call, but I found it important to vote for the resolution at least procedurally.”
Kaine said Wednesday morning he expected all five to stick with Democrats, but Hawley said he would vote with GOP leaders to kill the effort. Hawley said Rubio had addressed his concerns about U.S. troops in Venezuela.
Hawley said Rubio confirmed the U.S. “has no ground troops currently in Venezuela” and that if the administration plans to put troops in Venezuela, “they would abide by the War Powers Act and they would come to Congress for congressional authorization.”
“The secretary told me directly that the administration will not put ground troops in Venezuela,” Hawley said.
Before Maduro’s ouster, lawmakers said they received insufficient answers from the Trump administration about whether its end goals in Venezuela included regime change as the U.S. ramped up strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats, imposed an oil blockade and Mr. Trump threatened land strikes.
Republicans who voted last week to advance the resolution cited Mr. Trump’s comments about running Venezuela and the potential for U.S. forces to be deployed there as reasons for the measure gaining their support.
A day after the initial Senate vote, Mr. Trump announced he had called off a “second wave” of attacks against Venezuela, claiming the two countries “are working well together.” But, he said, U.S. naval forces in the region would “stay in place for safety and security purposes.”
Kaine attributed Mr. Trump’s decision to cancel more strikes to the war powers vote. CBS News did not receive a response from the White House to Kaine’s assertion.
