The US Senate has moved forward with consideration of a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s authority to deploy armed forces in Venezuela without prior congressional approval. The step does not amount to adoption of the measure itself, but rather a procedural decision that opens the way for further debate on the initiative.
As reported by Reuters, 52 senators voted on January 8 to bring the resolution up for consideration, while 47 opposed the move. A final vote on the measure is expected at a later stage.
The initiative was backed by all 47 Democratic senators, along with five Republicans—Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, and Josh Hawley. One additional Republican did not take part in the vote.
Commenting on the Senate’s decision, Donald Trump sharply criticized members of his own party, saying that “Republicans should be ashamed” of supporting the Democrats’ position. According to the president, the five senators who voted for the initiative “should never be elected to this office again.”