Senate Confronts Presidential War Powers in a Pivotal Vote After Maduro’s Ouster, Testing Constitutional Limits, Congressional Authority, and America’s Democratic Identity at a Moment of Global Uncertainty and Intensifying Executive Power

At the center of the dispute is Senator Tim Kaine, who announced plans to force a Senate vote on a war powers resolution. The measure would block further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval.

Kaine’s effort reflects bipartisan unease. Even lawmakers who favor a tough stance on authoritarian regimes worry less about Maduro himself than about how decisions of war are made.

Framing the issue as a constitutional test, Kaine invoked the nation’s approaching 250th anniversary. He warned that unilateral action risks normalizing executive-led warfare. Continue reading…