Republican senators used a procedural measure to kill a resolution today that would have halted unauthorized hostilities against Venezuela.
Before a vote could take place for S.J. Res. 98, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sen. Jim Risch (R-Id.) challenged the resolution’s privileged status in a point of order along the lines that there were no ongoing hostilities with Venezuela.
That point of order prompted a vote, which tied 50-50. Vice President J.D. Vance broke that tie and voted for the point of order, thus removing the resolution from immediate consideration on the Senate Floor.
Sens. Todd Young (R-In.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who voted to advance the resolution last week, also voted for the point of order.
On the Senate floor the day of the vote, Republican leadership asserted that war powers are unnecessary, because there are no ongoing hostilities between the U.S. and Venezuela.
“We have no troops on the ground in Venezuela. We’re not currently conducting military operations there,” Sen. John Thune (R- S.D.) said before the vote.
“The objective of this resolution is to stop something that is not happening,” Sen. Jim Risch (R- Id.) said.
Angered by the procedural move to quash the vote, resolution supporters contended that hostilities with Venezuela have already begun, and that Congress must assert its power to block further unauthorized action.
“Certainly [the senators moving to block the resolution] must think that invasion of a capital is a war, that removing a president is war, or a blockade of a country. So even though the first incursion, the first invasion, may well be over — is the blockade of a country not a war?,” Sen. Rand Paul asked. “Are we not at war when we have a military blockade of a country?’
“An argument that the Venezuela campaign is not imminent hostilities, within the meaning of the War Powers Resolution, is a violation of every reasonable meaning of that term,” Sen. Kaine charged. “To pretend otherwise would weaken the respect that this institution should aspire to.”
The Trump administration previously said it was “not afraid” to put “boots on the ground” in Venezuela if needed. It also said it would have to “run” the country until a transition of power can occur.
Before today’s failed attempt to assert its war powers there were a string of other unsuccessful efforts, which aimed to either stop hostilities against Iran, Venezuela, or attacks on the so-called “narcoterrorist” boats in the Caribbean.
The Senate last passed a War Powers Resolution back in 2020, to bar unauthorized hostilities against Iran; Trump vetoed that resolution.
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