U.S. Senate blocked on Tuesday a Democratic-led resolution that would have forced President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Cuba, leaving the president’s authority unchecked on a near-perfect party-line vote of 51 to 47.
Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida introduced the procedural objection that halted the resolution. He argued that a war powers debate was out of place because Trump has not deployed U.S. troops against Havana, and no active hostilities exist that would trigger the statute.
On the other hand, leading the effort to constrain the president, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia contended that U.S. measures to block fuel shipments from reaching the island already amount to military action. “If anyone were doing to the United States what we are doing to Cuba, we would definitely regard it as an act of war,” Kaine said in a floor speech before the vote.
The vote marks the first in the Senate directly tied to Cuba under the current administration and unfolds as Trump has repeatedly threatened the island’s leadership. In recent months, he has warned that “Cuba is next,” a message amplified in the wake of Washington’s military strikes on Iran and the January kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following the bombing of Caracas — operations that were carried out without prior congressional authorization.
The Senate’s rejection follows a string of failed Democratic attempts in both chambers. While the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, short-term operations and actions taken to counter an immediate threat fall outside that restriction, a loophole that has allowed successive presidents to wield broad military discretion.
Author: Victor Miranda
Source: Al-Jazeera
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