Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) speaks with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) as President Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez Delemer testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmation hearing at the U.S. Capitol on February 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. February 19, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | Reuters
The Senate voted 52-47 on Thursday to block further military action in Venezuela by President Donald Trump.
The move comes less than a week after President Trump authorized a strike to capture the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro.
The bill, known as the War Powers Resolution, would only need to pass with a simple majority in the Republican-controlled Senate and would require President Trump to seek Congressional approval before using military force in Venezuela again. The bill was introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The bill now heads to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.
“Make no mistake: Bombing another nation’s capital and eliminating its leader is an act of war, plain and simple. There is no provision in the Constitution that gives the office of the president such authority,” Paul said in a statement.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. President Trump and his allies have said they did not need to consult Congress about the attack that captured President Maduro, saying it was a law enforcement operation. Maduro is currently facing drug-related charges in New York.
The Senate rejected a similar resolution in November, after only two Republicans, Paul and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined all Democrats in voting for it. President Trump conducted a months-long military buildup around Venezuela before taking action to detain Maduro.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Thursday she would vote in favor of the bill.
“While I support the operation to seize President Nicolas Maduro, which was extraordinary in its precision and complexity, I do not support the addition of additional U.S. troops or long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific Congressional approval,” he said in a statement.
This story is developing. Please check back for the latest information.
