The Republican-led U.S. Senate blocked a Democratic resolution on Tuesday that aimed to prevent President Donald Trump from taking military action against Cuba without congressional approval, as reported by Reuters, CBS News, and Fox News. The Senate voted 51-47 along party lines on a procedural measure that halted the war powers resolution.
Key Takeaways
The U.S. Senate blocked a Democratic-led resolution that would have barred President Donald Trump from military action against Cuba without congressional approval, as Republicans argued there are no active hostilities against the island nation. The vote was 51-47 along party lines, with Democrats arguing that U.S. efforts to stop fuel shipments to Cuba constitute military action and expressing concern over Trump's recent threats of action against the island.
Republicans argued that there are no active U.S. hostilities against Cuba, with Senator Rick Scott of Florida stating that a war powers vote was not appropriate because Trump has not deployed troops, according to Reuters. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia countered that U.S. efforts to stop fuel shipments to the Communist-ruled island constitute military action and warned that if anyone were doing to the United States what is being done to Cuba, it would be regarded as an act of war.
The resolution was introduced in March by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who has also spearheaded efforts in the Senate to rein in Trump on Venezuela and Iran. More than half a dozen votes related to military action in those countries have yielded similar results, with most Republicans voting down restrictions on military action and defending the president's broad authority to use military force.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened action against Cuba, stating that he believes its government is on the verge of collapse. The administration has said it is looking to resolve its concerns with Cuba through diplomacy but has not ruled out some kind of military action. Cuban leadership has said the country is ready to fight any U.S. aggression.
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