The United States Senate is set to vote next week on a bipartisan war powers resolution aimed at blocking President Donald Trump from continuing military action against Venezuela, a move that has taken on new legal and constitutional urgency following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces over the weekend.
The privileged resolution, which cannot be blocked by Senate leadership from reaching the floor, seeks to reassert Congress’s authority over decisions to engage in hostilities abroad, underscoring a growing clash between the executive and legislative branches over war-making powers.
According to The Hill, the measure is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York alongside Senators Tim Kaine of Virginia, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Adam Schiff of California. It requires only a simple majority—51 votes—to pass the Senate.
Senator Kaine, a long-time advocate of congressional oversight of military action, said the resolution reflects the Constitution’s clear requirement that Congress authorize war. He warned that unchecked executive action risks eroding democratic norms as the United States enters what he described as the 250th year of its democracy.
Senator Schiff echoed those concerns, cautioning that military action against Venezuela without congressional approval could destabilize the wider region. He argued that acting without public or legislative consent risks plunging the Western Hemisphere into chaos and contradicts longstanding promises to avoid new foreign wars. Senator Rand Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican, is expected to support the resolution, joining all Senate Democrats and potentially putting the measure within reach of passage if at least three additional Republicans cross party lines.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, however, has defended the administration’s actions, praising the arrest of Maduro as a necessary step toward accountability for drug trafficking charges filed against the Venezuelan leader in U.S. courts. Thune has emphasized his support for the armed forces involved in the operation, even as he faces pressure from lawmakers seeking to curb further hostilities.
The legal battle over war powers has already played out in the House of Representatives, where similar efforts failed narrowly last month. A resolution sponsored by Representative Jim McGovern to compel the withdrawal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Venezuela was defeated by a margin of just two votes, while another proposal targeting military action against alleged terrorist-linked operations in the Western Hemisphere also fell short.
Even if the Senate approves the war powers resolution, it would still require passage in the House and the president’s signature to become law. The White House is widely expected to veto any measure restricting presidential authority as commander in chief, and there are currently insufficient votes in Congress to override such a veto. As a result, the upcoming Senate vote is likely to serve less as an immediate legal restraint and more as a high-stakes constitutional test of Congress’s willingness to challenge executive power in matters of war and peace.
