By Shirleen Guerra
The Center Square

A new proposal in Congress led by a Virginia U.S. senator aims to prevent the federal government from using taxpayer money for military operations toward Venezuela without formal authorization.

The bill, called the “Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025,” would stop the War Department and other federal agencies from carrying out military operations unless Congress approves the mission or authorizes it through the War Powers Resolution.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., say the bill is intended to prevent military action from moving forward without congressional authorization or a clear legal basis.

Supporters say the measure is meant to keep the United States from being drawn into a conflict without knowing the full mission or understanding the possible consequences.

“We shouldn’t stumble into an unnecessary war with Venezuela, risking U.S. servicemembers’ lives, with no congressional authorization and incomplete information about the Administration’s objectives, its legal rationale, and the potential consequences of a long-term conflict that could drive migration and irreparably fracture Venezuela,” Kaine said in a statement.

Merkley said Congress has a responsibility to act when military decisions are being made without approval.

“Nicolás Maduro is a brutal dictator, but that does not provide justification for the Trump Administration to ignore U.S. law to carry out these unconstitutional military strikes,” Merkley said. “Donald Trump cannot be trusted, and we must say no to another endless war, reckless regime change, and lethal operations, which are essentially extrajudicial killings, and do nothing to make the American people safer.”

The bill says it allows a few exceptions, including protecting U.S. forces or citizens facing an imminent attack, participating in counternarcotics missions that do not involve hostilities, or providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans.

Co-sponsor Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the legislation is intended to prevent taxpayer money from being used for what he described as a “manufactured conflict.”

The proposal also notes that it does not change any existing requirements under the War Powers Resolution.