‘Colossal and costly mistake’: US lawmakers to force vote on war powers if Trump attacks Venezuela

WASHINGTON – US lawmakers who have tried repeatedly to rein in President Donald Trump’s aggression against Venezuela said on Dec 2 they would file a new resolution to force a congressional vote on the issue if the administration carries out a strike within the country.

“Unauthorised military action against Venezuela would be a colossal and costly mistake that needlessly risks the lives of our service members,” Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Chuck Schumer of New York and Adam Schiff of California as well as Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky added in a joint statement.

“Should a strike occur, we will call up a War Powers Resolution to force a debate and vote in Congress that would block the use of US forces in hostilities against or within Venezuela,” they said.

Three House of Representatives lawmakers – Democrats Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Joaquin Castro of Texas and Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky – filed their own resolution on Dec 2 that also would block the Trump administration from engaging in hostilities within or against Venezuela without congressional authorisation.

US troops have carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, killing at least 83 people as Mr Trump escalates a military build-up against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

The Trump administration has been weighing options to combat what it says is Mr Maduro’s role in the supply of illegal drugs that have killed Americans. The socialist Venezuelan President has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.

Members of Congress have long accused presidents from both parties of seeking to sidestep the Constitution’s requirement that Congress, not the president, approve anything other than brief military action.

On Venezuela, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans said they are worried that Mr Trump has conducted a three-month-long military campaign without congressional authorisation.

Lawmakers from both parties have expressed alarm in recent days over a Washington Post report that Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Sept 2 ordered troops to fire for a second time on a boat to kill survivors of a first strike, which could violate international law.

‘We may have a problem’

Republican-led congressional committees said during the weekend they would investigate the Venezuela campaign, the second time in recent days members of Mr Trump’s party have voiced concerns about one of his policy initiatives.

Last week, several Republican lawmakers harshly criticised the White House over its handling of a proposed Ukraine peace plan they said favours Russia.

Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican who is on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said he is still trying to ascertain the facts of the strike as well as the laws affecting it.

“But my understanding is that we may have a problem if you’re killing survivors in the water after a strike,” he told reporters on Dec 2. “Once we get the facts, then we can start making determinations that need to be made.”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Dec 1 Mr Hegseth authorised Admiral Frank Bradley to conduct the strikes on Sept 2. She added that the strikes were conducted to protect US interests, took place in international waters and were in line with the law of armed conflict.

A few lawmakers have tried, and failed, repeatedly to force Mr Trump to obtain Congress’ approval of the campaign, citing the Constitutional requirement that only Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war.

Mr Trump’s Republicans in the Senate blocked a resolution in November that would have prevented him from attacking Venezuelan territory without congressional authorisation.

In October, Senate Republicans blocked a resolution that would have stopped the boat strikes. REUTERS