US lawmakers want vote on war powers after Trump pledges to launch land attack on Venezuela ‘soon’

WASHINGTON - A group of Democratic and Republican US senators filed a resolution on Dec 3 that would block US military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, after President Donald Trump said a land campaign would begin shortly.

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.

Mr Trump has been weighing options, including an attack on Venezuelan territory, for a campaign his administration calls an effort to stop the supply of illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Mr Maduro has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.

Mr Trump has told reporters at the White House repeatedly in the past two days that a land attack would start “very soon”.

Responding to his comments, Democratic Senators Tim Kaine of Virginia, Chuck Schumer of New York and Adam Schiff of California and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said they filed their war powers resolution.

The lawmakers, who have tried repeatedly to rein in Mr Trump’s aggression against Venezuela, had said on Dec 2 that they would file a new resolution to force a congressional vote on the issue if the administration launched an attack.

But on Dec 3, they said Mr Trump’s comments had prompted them to go ahead.

“We are being dragged into a war with Venezuela without legal basis or congressional authorisation, and the Senate must be prepared to stop an illegal war that would needlessly place at risk thousands of American service members,” Mr Schiff said in a statement.

Under Senate rules, a war powers resolution is privileged, meaning it must be called up for a vote in a matter of days. REUTERS