U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) speaks with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), as Lori Chavez-DeRemer, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of labor testifies earlier than a Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 19, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | Reuters
The Senate on Thursday voted 52-47 to dam President Donald Trump from additional navy motion in Venezuela.
The transfer got here lower than per week after Trump approved a strike that captured the nation’s chief, Nicolás Maduro.
The measure, often known as a Warfare Powers Decision, solely wanted a easy majority to go within the Republican-controlled Senate and would require Trump to hunt the approval of Congress earlier than utilizing the U.S. navy once more in Venezuela. The measure was introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The vote within the Senate was procedural, nevertheless it signifies that the measure has the votes to go relating to a closing vote within the Senate. It will then go to the Home, the place Republicans have a razor-thin majority.
Later Thursday, Trump railed towards the 5 Republicans who helped Democrats go the measure.
“Republicans needs to be ashamed of the Senators that simply voted with Democrats in trying to remove our Powers to combat and defend america of America,” Trump wrote on Reality Social.
The 5 GOP senators — Paul, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Indiana’s Todd Younger — “ought to by no means be elected to workplace once more,” Trump wrote.
Collins, responding to Trump’s submit, advised reporters on Capitol Hill, “I suppose meaning he would like to have [Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet] Mills or any person else with whom he is not had a terrific relationship.”
“Make no mistake, bombing one other nation’s capital and eradicating their chief is an act of struggle plain and easy. No provision within the Structure gives such energy to the presidency,” Paul stated in a press release.
The Structure vests Congress with the authority to declare struggle.
Trump and his allies in Congress have argued he didn’t must seek the advice of Congress on the strike that captured Maduro, which they are saying was a regulation enforcement operation. Maduro is now dealing with drug-related expenses in New York.
The Senate shot down an analogous decision in November, after solely two Republicans — Paul and Murkowski — joined all Democrats in voting for it. Trump engaged in a months-long navy buildup round Venezuela earlier than the motion that captured Maduro.
Collins, in a press release after the vote, stated, “Whereas I help the operation to grab Nicolas Maduro, which was extraordinary in its precision and complexity, I don’t help committing extra U.S. forces or getting into into any long-term navy involvement in Venezuela or Greenland with out particular congressional authorization.”
— CNBC’s Justin Papp and Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.
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