OMB opposes Kaine's Venezuela war powers resolution as Trump threatens veto

The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a Statement of Administration Policy on Nov. 6, 2025, opposing S.J. Res. 90, a resolution that would direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that Congress hasn't authorized. The resolution was introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) with 15 cosponsors, including Republican Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The Senate resolution invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, passed over President Nixon's veto as Congress's response to the Vietnam War, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and withdraw them within 60 days unless Congress authorizes continued action. The resolution would force withdrawal of any U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in or against Venezuela. The Senate voted 49-51 to block the resolution, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joining Rand Paul (R-KY) and Democrats in support.

The White House statement argues the president has constitutional authority as Commander in Chief to deploy forces to protect U.S. interests, personnel, and allies abroad without prior congressional approval for every deployment. The administration claims that violent drug-trafficking cartels, designated as terrorist organizations, constitute an armed attack against the United States and warrant continued military operations under the law of armed conflict.

Reports in early Nov. 2025 indicated the Trump administration had conducted preliminary planning for potential military operations in Venezuela targeting drug cartels, though Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly denied any U.S. plan to deploy troops on Mexican soil. The administration has sent its largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean as part of a broader military buildup.

The timing of the Senate resolution suggests bipartisan congressional concern about potential unauthorized military action during the government shutdown when normal oversight mechanisms are weakened. The 43-day shutdown that began Oct. 1, 2025, limited Congress's oversight capacity, heightening lawmakers' concerns about unchecked executive military action.

The War Powers Resolution has been invoked rarely since 1973, with most presidents arguing it unconstitutionally restricts executive authority. The Supreme Court has never ruled definitively on its constitutionality. Every president since 1973 has argued it unconstitutionally restricts executive power, but most have nominally complied to avoid a Supreme Court showdown.

Venezuela has been in political and economic crisis for years, with the Maduro regime maintaining power despite U.S. sanctions and international pressure. Trump has previously suggested military options for Venezuela. The administration has reportedly prepared plans to bomb military bases across Venezuela, though it remains unclear if President Trump intends to order the strikes.

The final Senate roll call shows that 49 senators backed S.J. Res. 90 and 51 opposed it, with every Democrat plus Independents and two Republicans—Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—voting yes. Kaine and Schiff framed the vote as a test of whether Congress would insist on debating and authorizing any war with Venezuela, while Paul cast his support as part of his long-standing opposition to open-ended wars launched from the Oval Office without clear authorization.

The Venezuela fight fits a pattern that goes back to Libya and Yemen: members introduce War Powers resolutions after presidents start or expand hostilities, but slim majorities and leadership pressure often keep those measures from taking effect. Even when they fail, these votes create a record of which senators are willing to defend Congress's war powers—and which are comfortable letting presidents treat the War Powers Resolution as a suggestion rather than a binding law.