Demand Progress

Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) will force a vote on a resolution that would require the president to seek congressional authorization before taking direct military action against Venezuela. The Senate resolution (S.J.Res.83) was introduced by Sens. Schiff and Kaine and is also supported by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The House resolution (H.Con.Res.51) was introduced by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Greg Cesar (D-TX) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL). Demand Progress is leading a campaign that has driven Americans to send more than 80,000 messages urging Congress to support the resolutions so far.

The following is a statement from Demand Progress Senior Policy Advisor Cavan Kharrazian:

“Congress must not let the Trump administration drag us into another unauthorized war. The recent illegal killings in the Caribbean have received zero congressional oversight or authorization and put us on a course toward a regime change war in Venezuela. These actions expand failed, militarized drug war policies across Latin America that devastate communities, undermine democracy and have been ineffective in curbing drug trafficking or improving public safety.

There has been no evidence presented to justify these strikes, no accountability for the lives lost and no effort to engage in diplomacy. This pattern of reckless, unilateral action mirrors the worst mistakes of past U.S. interventions and risks igniting a broader regional conflict. Lawmakers have a constitutional duty to reassert their war powers to stop this escalation before it spirals into a wider conflict, and make clear that no president can unilaterally decide when and where the United States goes to war.”