Last night, the Senate narrowly failed to pass a War Powers Resolution to block President Trump from launching an unauthorized war against Venezuela.
The bipartisan effort was led by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine (VA) and Adam Schiff (CA) and Republican Sen. Rand Paul (KY). In a 51-49 vote, Republican Lisa Murkowski (AK) joined Sen. Paul and all Democrats in supporting the resolution.
Why it matters:
The vote came as President Trump has threatened to carry out U.S. military strikes inside Venezuela without Congressional authorization.
The U.S. has sent its largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean as part of a broader military buildup. The administration has reportedly prepared plans to bomb military bases across Venezuela, though it remains unclear if President Trump intends to order the strikes.
U.S. officials have claimed that such strikes would be targeted at alleged drug operations, though we know the administration wants to topple the government of President Nicholás Maduro.
This escalation comes as the U.S. continues to murder people in civilian boats in the region with drones. The administration has killed at least 69 people in 17 strikes, with most targeting boats on the high seas close to Venezuela’s territorial waters.
While the Trump administration has claimed it is targeting “narco-terrorists,” a new investigation by the Associated Press paints a very different picture of the men the U.S. has killed.
These strikes are morally and legally unjustifiable — regardless of the identities of the victims — with a former ICC prosecutor calling them “crimes against humanity.”
What to know about last night’s vote:
We remain alarmed and disappointed by Congress’s continued failure to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to rein in President Trump’s abuse of military force. Yet Thursday’s vote also provided reason for hope.
We were encouraged that this effort gained an additional vote — cast by Sen. John Fetterman (PA) — compared to last month’s war powers vote on Trump’s boat strikes.
This is strong and significant bipartisan support, and thanks to the advocacy of ordinary people around the country, it’s continuing to grow.
Following these narrow votes, we must continue sending a clear message to Congress and the Trump administration: No war with Venezuela, and no more murder on the high seas!
Elsewhere
Trump Shutdown Grinds into Fifth Week
As the federal government shutdown became the longest in history, the Trump administration is fighting a judge’s ruling to pay SNAP food assistance in full. This is an immoral decision that needlessly leaves millions of people unsure of where their next meal is coming from. At the same time, health insurance rates are spiking for many and flights across the U.S. have been cancelled.
This situation cannot continue. People are suffering. Congress needs to reassert its power of the purse, reopen the government, and provide the relief people need.
Join us and call Congress to do the right thing!
Ten Years of the Paris Agreement
As we celebrated ten years of the Paris Climate Agreement this week, we can take stock of where we are in seeking an “earth restored.” The world has avoided the worst projections for the climate crisis, but none of the biggest carbon emitters have met their goals.
The United States has shamefully withdrawn from this landmark climate agreement. But the world as a whole continues to shift away from coal and toward renewable energy. Despite the U.S. withdrawal, it’s crucial that we still fulfill is our responsibilities to global climate assistance. Ask your members of Congress to support climate assistance in the upcoming spending bill!
A Call to Courage in Congress
FCNL’s Bridget Moix wrote in RNS this week calling Congress to courage. She urged Congress to “listen to their own conscience and, as Quakers say, let their lives speak.”
In this extraordinary moment, our communities are showing up and persisting in advocacy for the world we seek. Congress must follow suit.
