Senate votes to curb president's military action

The US Senate passed a resolution 52-47 on Thursday to allow a debate aimed at curbing US President Donald Trump from using military force against Venezuela without congressional approval.

This procedural vote opened the door to a debate expected next week that would force Trump to seek congressional authorization for any continued military operations in Venezuela.

The resolution was initiated by Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, and was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff from California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York.

"Instead of responding to Americans' concerns about the affordability crisis, President Trump started a war with Venezuela that is profoundly disrespectful to US troops, deeply unpopular, suspiciously secretive and likely corrupt. How is that 'America First'?" Kaine asked. "Trump's war is also clearly illegal because this military action was ordered without the congressional authorization the Constitution requires."

Five Republicans voted for the resolution along with all the Democrats, and Trump slammed them by calling their acts "stupid".

"Republicans should be ashamed of the senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This vote greatly hampers American self-defense and national security, impeding the president's authority as commander-in-chief."

Trump doesn't want to be constrained by Congress. In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Trump declared that his power as commander-in-chief is constrained only by his "own morality".

"I don't need international law," he told the NYT. "I'm not looking to hurt people."

Trump's military strike last weekend to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the US has prompted widespread opposition in the US. People are concerned about its implications for international stability and unfavorable consequences for the US.

Tom Watkins, a former school superintendent in Michigan and a business and education consultant, said Jan 3 is "a day that will live in infamy".

Watkins told China Daily that the military strike is not about drug trafficking.

"It is about regime change, power, money, oil and deflecting attention away from American citizens being squeezed economically, along with the shady release of the Epstein sex files," he said.

Watkins said that Trump is not simply bending international norms, "he is destroying them".

The strike on Venezuela is a grave matter, according to Watkins. "The rules-based international order has been shredded. Time will tell how the pieces will be rearranged."

The military strike on Venezuela immediately sparked protests around the country.

In Seattle, Washington, protest organizer Taylor Young told a local TV station that Venezuela's "sovereignty and self-determination have been violated by our government using our tax dollars".

Meanwhile, Trump said on Thursday that the United States would begin carrying out land strikes against drug trafficking cartels.

"We've knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and we are gonna start now hitting land with regard to the cartels," Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

Amid US pressure, Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday that her country is not "subjugated" to the US.

Also on Thursday, Venezuela began releasing a "large number" of political prisoners, including several foreigners.

The White House credited Trump with securing the prisoners' freedom. "This is one example of how the president is using maximum leverage to do right by the American and Venezuelan people," Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com