By Newspot Nigeria Politics Desk
Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote this week on a resolution that would require formal congressional authorization for any further U.S. military action in Venezuela, setting up a direct confrontation between Congress and the Trump administration over war powers.
Schumer said the move follows the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is currently being held in a federal detention facility in New York. According to Schumer, Congress was not notified ahead of the operation, a step Democrats argue is required under U.S. law governing the use of military force abroad.
The New York senator said he is co-sponsoring the resolution to prevent the president from taking additional military steps in Venezuela without congressional approval. While the vote would not undo the action already taken, it would require authorization from lawmakers before any future operations could proceed.
Schumer said the operation went beyond limited offshore or defensive measures, arguing that U.S. forces entered Venezuelan territory and carried out strikes without prior approval from Congress. He described the situation as a clear breach of the legal framework designed to balance presidential authority with legislative oversight.
The resolution is being co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, reflecting rare bipartisan agreement on the need to reassert Congress’s role in decisions involving military force. However, its passage remains uncertain.
Democrats would need support from at least three additional Republican senators for the measure to pass. Most Republicans have publicly praised President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela, including lawmakers aligned with the party’s more nationalist wing, many of whom have previously called for limiting U.S. military involvement overseas.
In the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also voiced support for legislative action to restrict further military operations without explicit approval from Congress, though no specific date has been announced for a House vote.
The expected Senate vote is likely to intensify the broader debate over executive power, congressional oversight, and the constitutional limits of military action, particularly as the Trump administration signals a more aggressive posture in Latin America.
