Bipartisan senators confront Trump’s unauthorized force as global instability rises amid hostile anti-U.S. regimes.
A rare coalition of U.S. senators from both parties warned Tuesday that they will invoke the War Powers Resolution to force a congressional vote should President Donald Trump continue escalating military action against Venezuela without authorization.
The group — Democrats Tim Kaine, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, and Republican Rand Paul — issued a sharply worded joint statement condemning the administration’s expanding strike campaign in waters near Venezuela.
“Unauthorized military action against Venezuela would be a colossal and costly mistake that risks American lives,”
the senators said, vowing to trigger a formal congressional confrontation if Trump orders another attack.
🇺🇸 BIPARTISAN REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OPERATIONS
The move represents the strongest challenge yet to the president’s months-long maritime strike campaign, which has targeted Venezuelan-linked “drug boats” in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Key details emerging:
- At least 21 U.S. strikes in three months
- 83 people killed, according to official tallies
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered a second strike on September 2 to kill survivors of an initial strike — a potential violation of international law
Republican Senator Mike Rounds, an Armed Services and Intelligence Committee member, signaled alarm:
“We may have a problem if you’re killing survivors in the water,”
he said, noting that such actions could breach U.S. and international legal standards.
The White House defended the operations. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the strikes, authorized by Hegseth and executed by Admiral Frank Bradley, were “conducted in international waters, compliant with the law of armed conflict, and necessary to protect U.S. interests.”
⚠️ GROWING GOP DISCONTENT WITH TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY
This is the second major instance in recent days in which Republicans publicly pushed back against Trump’s foreign-policy decisions:
- Last week, GOP lawmakers blasted the administration for advancing a Ukraine peace plan they said overly favors Russia.
- Now, Republicans are opening investigations into the Venezuela campaign, questioning legality, oversight, and purpose.
Congress has repeatedly attempted to rein in the president:
- November: Senate Republicans blocked a resolution preventing Trump from attacking Venezuelan territory without authorization.
- October: Republicans blocked another measure aimed at halting the maritime strike program.
Despite these failed attempts, dissatisfaction inside Trump’s own party is mounting.
🌐 ESCALATING MILITARY CAMPAIGN WITH GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
The strikes are part of Trump’s intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the administration accuses of cartel-linked activity and alignment with anti-U.S. regimes.
The operations come amid rising geopolitical friction — from Russia’s advances in Europe to Iranian-backed destabilization in the Middle East — creating a climate where unauthorized U.S. military actions risk broader consequences.
Senators argue that continued unilateral strikes:
- undermine constitutional war-powers balance
- risk entangling the U.S. in a wider conflict
- erode domestic and international credibility
- could spark retaliation from Venezuela or its allies
If Trump launches another strike, Congress appears poised for a showdown not seen since the height of post-9/11 War Powers debates.
