Demand Progress

Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted 52-47 to advance a bipartisan resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) to block further military action in Venezuela. Demand Progress drove millions of constituent contacts to Congress opposing war in 2025 and is leading a campaign to support war powers resolutions on Venezuela. 

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

“Today’s vote is a rare ray of good news for the nation and our Constitution. The U.S. Senate is finally listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly do not want more illegal, open-ended wars. 

With this historic, bipartisan vote to prevent further war in Venezuela, Congress has begun the long-overdue work of reasserting its constitutional role in decisions of war and peace. 

We commend the leadership of Senators Kaine and Paul in forcing this vote, and we thank Senators Collins, Young, Hawley, and Murkowski for their principled votes. Senators should move quickly to adopt the resolution to prevent further unauthorized military escalation and the House should follow suit. 

Congress should also make clear, using the full force of the law, that no president has the authority to unilaterally launch hostilities anywhere in the world, whether in Venezuela or against other countries the administration has openly threatened, including Cuba, Greenland, Colombia, and Iran.”