US Senate rejects resolution to block Trump from attacking Venezuela

The US Senate has rejected a resolution to block President Donald Trump from attacking Venezuela without congressional authorization, according to a live broadcast of the session by C-SPAN, Report informs.

As many as 49 senators backed the resolution, and 51 voted against; a majority was needed for it to pass.

The document points out that "Congress has the sole power to declare war." "Congress has not declared war upon, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force against, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, nor any transnational criminal organizations," the document notes.

CNN noted on Thursday, citing sources, that "the Trump administration is seeking a separate legal opinion from the Justice Department that would provide a justification for launching strikes against land targets without needing to ask Congress to authorize military force."

US administration officials, namely Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, told lawmakers at a closed-door briefing on Wednesday that the US currently did not have plans, nor legal grounds, for attacks on land targets in Venezuela.

They explained that the existing legal opinion authorized only strikes on the ships the US authorities believed carried drugs.

The US Navy has conducted a number of such strikes since September.