US lawmakers to force vote on war powers if Trump attacks Venezuela

[Kurokage]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-lawm...025-12-02/
 

US lawmakers to force vote on war powers if Trump attacks Venezuela.
WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers who have tried repeatedly to rein in President Donald Trump's aggression against Venezuela said on Tuesday they would file a new resolution to force a congressional vote on the issue if the administration carries out a strike within the country.
"Unauthorized military action against Venezuela would be a colossal and costly mistake that needlessly risks the lives of our servicemembers," Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Chuck Schumer of New York and Adam Schiff of California and Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky said 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 U.S. 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 Tuesday that also would block the Trump administration from engaging in hostilities within or against Venezuela without congressional authorization.
U.S. 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 Trump escalates a military buildup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government.

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

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

A few lawmakers have tried, and failed, repeatedly to force Trump to obtain Congress' approval of the campaign against Venezuela.
Trump's Republicans in the Senate blocked a resolution in November that would have prevented him from attacking Venezuelan territory without congressional authorization. In October, Senate Republicans blocked a resolution that would have stopped the boat strikes.

This certainly looks like the Trump administration maybe causing a few issues amongst fellow Republicans with it's Venezuelan campaign.
Do you guys think this will cause Donnie issues going forward with any kind of further military action. Will congress try to rain in his perceived bulling of a neighbour.

[UltraBudgie]

It is part of the dance.

Think of it as a pre-apology tour. This is so they can point back in 5-10 years and say "gee golly, we tried to reign him in". Shrug. What could we do?

Everyone should be familiar with the game by now.

[Kurokage]

It is part of the dance.

Think of it as a pre-apology tour. This is so they can point back in 5-10 years and say "gee golly, we tried to reign him in". Shrug. What could we do?

Everyone should be familiar with the game by now.

Is it part of the dance or is Donnie really starting to lose his support in congress?
Are congress concerned that the administration is going to far and need to reel it in before it does irreparable damage to the party.  All either party is concerned about is what their voters think, many republicans don't want to be dragged into any war.

[Oldcarpy2]

Is it part of the dance or is Donnie really starting to lose his support in congress?
Are congress concerned that the administration is going to far and need to reel it in before it does irreparable damage to the party.  All either party is concerned about is what their voters think, many republicans don't want to be dragged into any war.

I doubt if anyone in their right mind wants this War.

I still don't understand why he wants to go to War against Narco Terrorists when he has just commuted the sentence of an actual one.  Hernandez.

[Bootless]

Is it part of the dance or is Donnie really starting to lose his support in congress?
Are congress concerned that the administration is going to far and need to reel it in before it does irreparable damage to the party.  All either party is concerned about is what their voters think, many republicans don't want to be dragged into any war.

It seems Thom Tillis(GOP Senator for North Carolina) is making some noise. Trump pardon of convicted Honduran president sends ‘horrible message’

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said President Trump’s controversial decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year sentence for conspiring to import cocaine, sends a “horrible message.”
 
Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Trump’s pardon of Hernández, who was convicted in June 2024 of conspiring to distribute more than 400 tons of cocaine and accepting millions of dollars in bribes from traffickers to facilitate the shipment of those drugs, was completely at odds with Trump’s efforts to interdict drug smuggling boats from Venezuela.
 
“I hate it. It’s a horrible message,” Tillis told reporters Tuesday. “It’s confusing to say on the one hand we should potentially even consider invading Venezuela for drug traffick[ing], and on the other hand let somebody go.

Evidently, Trump has not been following the standard DOJ recommendation process for pardons; it's more like "who you know". It seems that Roger Stone met with the dude in prison and delivered a hand written letter from him to Trump. Boom! Pardon because of Stone's recommendation. 

Trump's campaign "No new wars!!!"

I think some voters considered that a good reason to vote for him.

[Oldcarpy2]

It seems Thom Tillis(GOP Senator for North Carolina) is making some noise. Trump pardon of convicted Honduran president sends ‘horrible message’

Evidently, Trump has not been following the standard DOJ recommendation process for pardons; it's more like "who you know". It seems that Roger Stone met with the dude in prison and delivered a hand written letter from him to Trump. Boom! Pardon because of Stone's recommendation. 

Trump's campaign "No new wars!!!"

I think some voters considered that a good reason to vote for him.

It makes no sense to me, at all.

Yeah, so much for "No new wars", or many of his other campaign promises.

Seems that some Republicans are waking up, though.

[EXETER]

It seems Thom Tillis(GOP Senator for North Carolina) is making some noise. Trump pardon of convicted Honduran president sends ‘horrible message’

Evidently, Trump has not been following the standard DOJ recommendation process for pardons; it's more like "who you know". It seems that Roger Stone met with the dude in prison and delivered a hand written letter from him to Trump. Boom! Pardon because of Stone's recommendation. 

....

How much do you suppose Roger Stone made out of that transaction?  Or do you think Roger did it out of the goodness of his heart?

[Bootless]

How much do you suppose Roger Stone made out of that transaction?  Or do you think Roger did it out of the goodness of his heart?

I was imagining something like:

Hernandez to Stone: "How much do you think I should offer?"

Stone: "500 Million should do it."

Later, Stone to Trump: "He's offering 300 Million. And it will be a smack against Biden."

Trump: "Yeah, that will show him!"