U.S. Senate Fails to Curb Trump’s Actions Against Cuba

The United States Senate rejected a Democratic initiative this Tuesday with a 51-47 vote that sought to curb President Donald Trump’s use of military forces against Cuba without authorization from Congress.

The proposal, S.J. Res. 124, sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and colleagues Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Adam Schiff of California, is similar to other attempts in recent weeks that question Trump’s authority to lead the United States into war without the approval of the Legislative Branch.

The result was decided by a narrow margin and followed party lines. Republicans, who control the Upper House, voted as a bloc against the Democratic proposal, despite the defections of Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who joined the opposing side. On the Democratic side, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania broke ranks to vote with the Republicans.

During the debate this Tuesday prior to the vote, several speakers addressed the inconsistencies in U.S. policy toward Cuba, called for Cuba’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and stated that Cuba represents no threat to the northern country’s national security.

“The United States has had a long, very long history with Cuba that I do not need to recount here. But suffice it to say that, as a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, I have never heard the suggestion that Cuba represents an imminent threat to the security of the United States,” Kaine stated while arguing for the resolution. He added that it is an accepted fact that no current war authorization approved by Congress exists for military actions against Cuba.

“Therefore, utilizing the privileged provision of the War Powers Resolution, I have introduced this along with my colleagues to affirm that we should not be at war, that we should not be involved in hostilities with Cuba, unless there is a debate and a vote in Congress,” he noted.

According to Kaine, under the terms of the resolution, “we are already engaged in hostilities with Cuba, because we are using American force, primarily the Coast Guard, but also other assets, to participate in a very devastating economic blockade against the nation.” He emphasized: “If someone were doing to the United States what we are doing to Cuba, we would definitely consider it an act of war.”

The senator described what the current U.S. coercive measures mean for the Cuban people, highlighting the impact of the energy blockade which, from January to March, resulted in nearly 100,000 scheduled surgeries being unable to proceed in the country's hospitals. “More than 11,000 of these procedures were scheduled for children,” he recalled.

Senator Peter Welch of Vermont, supporting the resolution, expressed concern over President Trump’s recent statements. “Our commander-in-chief, and I quote: ‘Cuba is next.’ This is urgent and requires the immediate attention of the United States Senate,” he warned, noting that Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force against the island without legal justification. Welch stressed that no American president should threaten to take control of another sovereign nation.

Meanwhile, Gallego pointed out that the current administration continues to offer “one conflict after another.” He noted that “just after New Year, Trump illegally invaded Venezuela (…) and less than two months later, he led us into war with Iran, without justification or explanation.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland also backed the resolution, stating: “We have seen deeply alarming rhetoric and actions from the administration regarding Cuba. What began as an economic war has now devolved into open discussions about military intervention.” He added: “President Trump himself has said, and I quote: ‘Take Cuba. I mean, whether I liberate it or take it’ (…) But we all know that Cuba is not a property that Donald Trump can acquire.”

Conversely, Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida argued that “President Trump has never suggested we send troops to Cuba. Therefore, this entire effort is irrelevant,” asserting that there was broad support for the idea that the U.S. is not currently at war with Cuba.

Despite these arguments, the resolution was killed by the Republican majority. The vote occurred following a conference in Miami last month where President Trump declared that “the next one is Cuba.”