US Senate Blocks Effort to Prevent Trump from Using Military Against Cuba

The US Senate blocked a resolution aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from ordering military action against Cuba without congressional approval.

In Tuesday's vote, the Republican-led Senate rejected the Democratic-proposed war powers resolution by a 51-47 margin, largely along party lines. Republicans argued that there is no US hostile action targeting Cuba and that restricting the president's authority is unnecessary.

Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who raised a procedural point to block the resolution, said the war powers vote was inappropriate because Trump has not deployed the military against Havana.

In a subsequent social media post, Scott said, "If we want real reform in Cuba, the illegitimate Castro/Diaz-Canel regime must fall."

"I am thrilled that under President Trump's leadership, there is real hope for a new day of freedom, prosperity, and Patria y Vida (homeland and life)," he said.

Trump has threatened Cuba's leadership repeatedly in recent months and has warned that "Cuba is next."

These warnings come amid Washington's war against Iran and after US forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in early January—military operations not authorized by Congress.

Most recently, Trump pledged "a new dawn for Cuba."

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, the main sponsor of the resolution to limit Trump's actions against Cuba, argued that US efforts to block fuel tankers from reaching the communist-led island nation constitute a form of military action.

"If someone did to the United States what we are doing to Cuba, we would certainly consider it an act of war," Kaine said in a Senate speech before the vote.

"My argument is that under the terms of the resolution, we have already engaged in hostilities with Cuba because we are using US forces, primarily the Coast Guard but also other assets, to enforce a very devastating economic blockade against that country," Kaine said.

Tuesday's vote was the first related to Cuba and came as Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly failed in both the Senate and the House to force Trump to seek congressional permission for his military operations.

Although the US Constitution stipulates that only Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war, this restriction does not apply to short-term operations or responses to direct threats.

The White House said Trump's actions fall within his authority and duty as commander-in-chief to protect the United States.