Senate vote tests Trump’s authority to use force against drug cartels

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted Wednesday against legislation that would have reined in the president. that of Donald Trump ability to use lethal military force against drug cartels after Democrats attempted to counter extraordinary assertion of presidential war powers destroy ships in the Caribbean.

The vote fell mostly along party lines, 48 ​​to 51, with two Republicans, Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski, voting for and Democratic Senator John Fetterman voting against.

It was the first vote in Congress on Trump’s military campaign, which the White House says has so far passed. destroyed four shipskilled at least 21 people and stopped narcotics from reaching the United States. The War Powers Resolution would have required the president to seek authorization from Congress before further military strikes against the cartels.

The Trump administration has claimed that drug traffickers are armed combatants who threaten the United States, justifying the use of military force. But this assertion caused some unease on Capitol Hill.

Some Republicans are demanding more clarification from the White House on its legal justification and details on how the strikes are carried out, while Democrats insist they are violations of U.S. and international law. It is a clash that could redefine how the world’s most powerful military uses lethal force and set the tone for future global conflict.

The White House had indicated that Trump would veto the legislation, and although the Senate vote failed, it gave lawmakers an opportunity to publicly voice their objections to Trump’s declaration that the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

“It sends a message when a significant number of legislators say, ‘Hey, this is a bad idea,’” said Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who championed the resolution alongside Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.

What is War Powers Resolution?

Wednesday’s vote took place as part of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which sought to reassert Congress’ power over declaring war.

“Congress must not allow the executive branch to become judge, jury and executioner,” Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has long advocated for greater congressional control over war powers, said during a speech.

Paul was the only Republican to speak publicly in favor of the resolution before the vote, but a number of Republican senators questioned the ship strikes and said they were not receiving enough information from the administration.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, acknowledged that “there might be some concerns” within the Republican conference about the strikes. However, Republican leaders spoke out against the resolution in the Senate on Wednesday, calling it a political ploy by Democrats.

“People were attacking our country by bringing in toxic substances that would have killed Americans,” said Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Fortunately, most of these drugs are now found at the bottom of the ocean. »

Risch thanked Trump for his actions and added that he hoped the military strikes would continue.

What has the administration told Congress about the strikes?

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee received a classified briefing on the strikes last week, and Cramer said he was “comfortable with at least the plausibility of their legal argument.” But he added that no representatives from Central and South America’s intelligence agencies or military command structure were present at the briefing.

“I would be more comfortable defending the administration if they shared the information,” he said.

Kaine also said the briefing contained no information about why the military chose to destroy the ships rather than interdict them, or why the military was so sure the ships were carrying drugs.

“Maybe they were involved in human trafficking, or maybe it was the wrong ship,” Schiff said. “We just have little to no information about who was on those ships, what intelligence was used or what the rationale was, and how certain we could be that everyone on that ship deserved to die.”

Democrats also said the administration told them it was adding the cartels to a list of organizations considered “narcoterrorists” that are targets for military strikes, but it did not show lawmakers a full list.

“The slow erosion of congressional control is not an abstract debate about process,” Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a speech. “This is a real and present threat to our democracy.”

A visit from Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio went to the Republican Conference for lunch Wednesday to stress to senators that they should vote against the bill. He told senators the administration treats the cartels like government entities because they have taken over large parts of some Caribbean countries, according to Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota.

“These drug trafficking organizations pose a direct threat to the safety and security of the United States by unleashing violence and crime on our streets, fueled by drugs and the profits they make,” Rubio told reporters at the Capitol. “And the president is the commander in chief, he has an obligation to keep our country safe.”

Still, the Senate is concerned that the recent buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean signals a shift in U.S. priorities and tactics that could have serious repercussions. Senators warned that further military strikes could trigger conflict with Venezuela.

“This is the kind of thing that leads a country, unexpectedly and unintentionally, into war,” Schiff said.

After the vote, Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, said in a statement that although he voted against the resolution, he was still “very concerned about the legality” of the strikes.

He also raised concerns that the military buildup in the Caribbean could divert resources intended to counter China’s military elsewhere. Young said he would meet with Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about these concerns and also requested a hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“The administration must respect the Constitution and keep the people’s representatives informed on this critical national security issue,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.