Sen. Tim Kaine Announces Vote on War Powers Resolution “To direct the removal of [U.S.] Armed Forces from hostilities within or against…Cuba that have not been authorized by Congress”

I agree with pressing for these war powers votes, but let’s just not expect that they will be sufficient to rein in this lawless, out-of-control, unhinged regime – especially given that the vast majority of Republicans continue to stand by Trump while abdicating their responsibilities to serve as a coequal branch, check-and-balance on the executive, etc. Which is why it’s crucial for Democrats to take back the US House and US Senate this November!

UPDATE 4:45 pm: See below for Sen. Tim Kaine’s floor speech preceding the vote on his War Powers Resolution; according to Sen. Kaine, “If anyone were doing to the United States what we’re doing to Cuba, we would definitely consider it an act of war…There’s not yet been a clear justification for what the United States is doing to Cuba, other than a desire to change its regime. There’s no argument that they have nuclear weapons or ballistic missile program. There’s no argument they pose an imminent threat to the United States…Given that regime change should not be a reason for war, unless it’s debated upon and embraced by Congress — and if we were going to say the regime change of a bad regime is a reason for the United States to go to war, we would have an awful lot of countries in the world where we would be debating about going to war…The most kingly of all oppressions is the tendency of executives to distract or impoverish their populations by taking them to war.”

KAINE, SCHIFF, & GALLEGO ANNOUNCE VOTE ON CUBA WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TODAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced that the Senate will vote today on their War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in unauthorized hostilities against Cuba. President Donald Trump has already ordered an illegal military blockade of Cuba that is causing a man-made humanitarian crisis on the island, and he continues to threaten direct military action. While speaking at a conference in Miami in March, President Trump stated that “Cuba’s next.”

“Americans want President Trump to focus on lowering costs, but all he seems to be interested in is send our sons and daughters into war to topple foreign governments—with no clear strategy or benefit to the U.S.,” said Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. “Nicolás Maduro and Ali Khamenei may be out of the picture, but their regimes are still largely in place, 13 U.S. servicemembers and thousands of civilians have lost their lives, and gas prices are soaring. The last thing we need is another illegal regime change attempt in Cuba. Today, the Senate will have the opportunity to say no to another costly and unnecessary war that’s not in Americans’ best interest.”

“The American people have spoken loud and clear that they do not want any more costly wars of choice that skyrocket prices at home,” said Schiff. “But Donald Trump has bypassed Congress’s sole authority to declare war with attacks on Iran and Venezuela. The president’s saber rattling toward Cuba makes clear where his sights are next. Congress must make its voice heard, or we risk involvement in another risky war of choice and losing our constitutionally granted authorities forever.”

“Trump, Rubio, and the rest of the war hawks in the administration will continue to involve the US in more foreign wars,” said Gallego. “As if the disaster of the Iran War and the resulting spike in oil prices weren’t enough, Trump is threatening to intervene in Cuba as well. The American people want nothing to do with it—they want lower prices, good health care, and affordable homes, not a new war to satisfy neoconservatives in South Florida.”

Full text of the resolution is available here.