WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senate Democrats have filed legislation that would prevent the U.S. from attacking Cuba without congressional approval as they seek to force a vote on stated goal of a 鈥渢akeover鈥� of the Caribbean country.
Democrats have repeatedly used war powers resolutions to force debate on moves, though Republicans have so far mostly backed the president. The resolution filed Thursday by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine, Ruben Gallego and Adam Schiff would require the president to remove the military from any hostilities with Cuba and could potentially receive a vote by the end of the month.
“Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution, but he operates with the belief that the U.S. military is a palace guard, ordering military action in the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Iran without Congress鈥� authorization or any explanation for his actions to the American people,鈥� Kaine said in a statement.
Trump said earlier this week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was negotiating with Cuba’s leadership as the country faces a that has been exacerbated by a U.S. blockade of the island.
鈥淚t may be a friendly takeover, 鈦爄t may not be a friendly takeover,鈥� this week at a news conference in Florida. He added that he and Rubio would focus on that goal after the war with Iran.
The U.S. for decades has had a tense relationship with Cuba, but Trump’s turn to using military action to take out foreign opponents has raised anticipations that the island could be next. Rubio, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1950s, has long pushed for the U.S. to aggressively oppose the Caribbean nation’s leadership.
Rubio that the Trump administration would 鈥渓ove鈥� to see a Cuban regime change, but cautioned that 鈥渄oes not mean we are going to provoke it directly.” Republicans in Congress have mostly stood behind the Trump administration’s aggressive foreign policy
However, Democrats have turned repeatedly to war powers resolutions in order to force debates over how Trump can use military force in foreign nations. They have not succeeded in passing any of the resolutions so far, but the tactic at times has compelled the Trump administration to explain its goals to Congress.
Democrats are also planning next week to potentially force votes on a series of war powers resolutions that apply to Iran unless Republicans agree to hold public hearings on the conflict.
鈥淗e ran on America First, but now it鈥檚 clear he鈥檚 become a puppet of the war hawks in his party,鈥� Gallego said in a statement.
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